Battle Cries in the Shadows
by Kekewey
Summary: PG 13 for later chapters. See AN inside story for difference between previous posting. Yami senses something's going on in a town called Smallville so he sends Seto check it out because of Seto's past life experience with magic.
1. Prologue

**

* * *

Battle Cries in the Shadows **

**By Kekewey**

* * *

* * *

A/N: Okay, I posted the fic beforeI got this new idea for Mokuba's reply for Seto refusing to let him come, so I just had to get this out. Sorry for the people who read before!

_Italics_ is thinking

_:blah:_ is yami talking to hikari

_::blah::_ is hikari talking to yami

**

* * *

Prologue: **

"No."

"Kaiba-"

"No, don't 'Kaiba' me, Yami! I did my part! I will not be involved any more in your idiotic fantasies!"

Blazing crimson met icy azure. "You are already involved, Kaiba. You became involved the minute you were handed Obelisk."

"Which I don't hold anymore."

Yami sighed, resting his arms on Kaiba's large desk as he leaned forward in his chair. "Kaiba, must we go through this every day? You now are the possessor of the Sennen Rod. You are involved, and will be for the rest of your life. You should have accepted that by now. You are a High Priest, and this mission is part of your duties you _must_ fulfill as my High Priest."

"I will not abandon my company to perform duties of my supposed past life! I have responsibilities _now_ that I cannot afford to throw away!"

"Kaiba, we both know you could easily run your company with just a laptop and your cell phone. Defeating that rogue Duelist and mending the breached magical barriers are also your responsibilities. You are a High Priest as much as I am Pharaoh."

"Egypt is dead and dust, so I must say I agree with that statement." Kaiba's smirk mocked Yami.

"Kaiba-!"

"Damnit, Yami, I will not go to Smallville just because your 'spidey-senses' say something big is happening!" Kaiba would have banged a fist on his desk for good measure, but that would have been too revealing.

"Kaiba, while Egypt may not exist the way it did 3000 years ago does not mean that our duties have vanished as well. I am responsible for upholding the magical barriers and fixing the mishaps of Domino City and your duty is to uphold the other barriers _I_ can't get to." Yami paused and smiled slowly. Triumphantly. It was the smile that spoke of future mischief for the ex-Pharaoh and even more humiliation for the CEO. "Think of it as a challenge."

"A challenge?"

"You will have to go undercover. You will be able to go to an American school. Besides stopping the magical attacks in the city, you will be able to experience a normal life, one of the challenges you have never achieved."

"What makes you think I want a normal life?"

"Your heavy denial of magic speaks for itself."

Seto looked down at his clasped fingers and shifted in his desk chair. Yami stood from his chair and walked until he was behind the mahogany desk and stood beside Seto, rested both palms flat on the desk, and leaned down until his eyes were on level with the CEO's.

"You'll be able to practice your recently required Shadow magic."

Seto growled.

_::Yami, I don't think he's going to listen to you.::_

_:Then why don't you try, aibou. I know I'm getting through to him, but it may take your people skills to persuade him.:_ (1)

The Sennen Puzzle flashed and crimson faded to violet. Yugi straightened and walked back until he was staring at Seto from the other side of the desk, his boots making no noise on the navy carpet. "Please, Kaiba. If you don't stop these attacks, they will spread."

_Mokuba._ Seto sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "We have to save the world again? I thought that business was done when Malik was defeated." Seto brushed his fingers on the Sennen Rod he kept in his belt. The gold warmed at his touch and he squeezed the item before looking back at Yugi. "Fine. I'll do it."

"Thank you, Kaiba."

"I'll expect a match when I'm back."

Yugi nodded.

"And keep an eye on Mokuba."

"He's not coming?"

"If this mysterious Duelist is as dangerous as you say he is, it would be best if Mokuba is left out. Besides, I need someone to keep an eye on Kaiba Corporation while I'm away. He is the Vice-President."

Yugi nodded. "I promise to watch Mokuba."

"Good. Now get out of my office."

Seto saw Yami appear in his transparent form beside Yugi and the spirit smirked at Seto. Seto scowled back at him and Yami chuckled and walked out of the office beside his hikari with a sweep of his long jacket. Yugi shook his head at Yami's antics and closed the heavy wooden door behind them.

Seto sighed and leaned back in his plush chair, wheeling the chair around to stare into the windows behind him and gazed at the impressive view of Domino City. He stood and walked over to the windows and took out the Sennen Rod, absently running his fingers over the polished gold.

_I don't even know why I took this thing in the first place. When Yami handed it to me, every one of my senses was screaming to run from the madness that is connected to the Sennen Items. That kind of power...just as bad as that damn God Card. But that nagging feeling in the back of my mind just wouldn't go _away He twirled the Rod absently and gazed over the city again. _And because the Sennen Rod bonded with me, I guess Isis Ishtar was right all along._ Seto's right eye twitched as he recalled Isis's smug smile when she saw the Rod in his belt. How he _hated_ that woman. Seto turned away from the windows and slammed a fist down on the button on the intercom.

"Yes, Kaiba-sama?" his secretary asked. (2)

"I'm taking a vacation in a week. I don't know how long I'll be gone. I will be running the company still, but Mokuba is in charge of Headquarters while I'm gone."

"Yes Kaiba-sama. Where are you going?"

Kaiba shut off the intercom without answering. He sat in his chair and bought a ticket to Metropolis, Kansas via his trusty laptop. After some hacking, he managed to make himself a member of the local exchange student program that was going to Smallville. He picked up the phone and dialed his house. (3)

"Moshi moshi!" Mokuba's cheery voice answered. (4)

"Mokuba, it's me. I'm going to be taking a vacation to-"

"-Smallville. I know nisama. Yami told me." (5)

Seto's shoulders tightened at the mention of the ex-Pharaoh's name, but made himself relax. "So you know what I'm going to do, and what you have to do?"

"Yes, nisama. Come on, Seto, let me come!"

"No."

"Why not? I want to help!"

"No, Mokuba."

"Nisama!"

"Mokuba, I'll be fine."

"No you won't!"

Seto blinked at Mokuba's rare bursts of anger at him. "What are you talking about?"

"Seto, you're new to magic. You don't even _like_ it. How are you going to be all right if you don't have anyone covering your back?"

"Mokuba, if I took you along, I would be putting you in unnecessary danger. And like you said, I'm new to magic, so I can't afford to be distracted if something happened to you. Besides, I need someone to look after Kaiba Corporation while I'm gone."

There was a long silence on the other end of the phone before Mokuba sighed. "Fine Seto. I'll stay." There was a pause before he said, "It's not going to be much of a vacation for you, is it?" Mokuba didn't wait for an answer as he continued. "I also created a fake ID, passport, and other papers for you. In a week, Seto Ryuujin will be picked up at the airport by a Gabe and Chloe Sullivan. Chloe is sixteen and attends Smallville High School and Gabe is her father. Gabe is the Vice-President at LexCorp " (6)

"Really?" Seto's voice showed mild interest. He paused, and then asked. "Ryuujin?" (7)

Mokuba laughed. "I thought it was cool."

Seto rolled his eyes. "See you tonight, Mokuba."

"Wait, nisama!"

"What?"

"We need to go shopping. You can't show up in Smallville dressed like you usually do."

"And why not?" Seto detested shopping with a passion he usually reserved for hating the make inu. (8)

"Because you'll be recognized." Mokuba said this like it was obvious. "We need to get you into low profile mode."

Seto sighed, rubbing his temples. "Fine."

"Oh, and nisama?"

"What?"

"Practice smiling!" With that, Mokuba hung up.

Seto hung up the phone and put his head in his hands. Sometimes it just didn't benefit to have a younger sibling.

* * *

Footnotes: 

(1) "Aibou" means "partner or companion" in Japanese and Yami calls Yugi this all the time in the subtitled episodes.

(2) "Sama" is an honorary titled in Japanese for someone above you, such as your boss. Not to be confused with "San" which just means "Mr. or Mrs.".

(3) For those unfamiliar with the show Smallville, never fear, because you will be explained about it the same time Seto is explained it (or even before if I do any other thoughts from the characters of Smallville) and if you didn't catch that hint about Lex Luthor or LexCorp or even Metropolis, than you are waaaaay behind in basic pop culture. Okay, onto the footnote: In the show Smallville, Metropolis is twenty minutes from Smallville. Interestingly, in the comics Smallville is in Kansas and Metropolis is in Delaware.

(4) "Moshi, moshi" is a common way to answer the phone in Japan.

(5) "Nisama" means "honorable older brother" in Japanese and Mokuba calls Seto this all the time in the subtitled anime.

(6) I thought it amusing how the Kaiba brothers (okay, so we haven't seen Mokuba's hacking skills yet but I believe they are almost on par with Seto's) have no qualm about doing any illegal hacking, so I made Mokuba clever enough to forge papers. Also I am not entirely sure of Gabe Sullivan's profession in LexCorp or even if he works there anymore, but in my fic he does and he's the VP.

(7) "Ryuujin" means "dragon king". It is used in one of my favorite fics "It's Deja-Vu All Over Again" by Nenya85 and I hope she (or he) doesn't mind me borrowing it. Gomen nasai if you do!

(8) "Make inu" means "stray dog". If you still don't get who Seto was referring to, it was Jounouchi.

* * *

A/N: I'm pretty sure that this is the first Smallville/Yu-Gi-Oh crossover so I hope I can pull it off. I have big plans for this story and the some of the next chapters are already half-written, but due to the fact that I am anal about editing (I have removed stories on numerous times so I could fix them) the updating will be somewhat slow. So far there are no pairings and I don't have any plans for them, but who knows what may happen?

Review Reply: **Amy Johnson:** Thanks for liking my story. Was this update fast enough for you? Hee, hee just kidding. Like I said before, my next chapter should be up in a week.

Last A/N: I have Chapter 1 halfway written so it should be up in a week or two. Please review!

* * *


	2. Welcome to Hicksville

**

* * *

A/N Reminders: **

Props to Kagemihari for beta-ing and Nenya85 for giving me Kagemihari's email and indirect inspiration.

_Italics_ is thinking and sometimes flashbacks

_::blah::_ is dreaming

_**>>>>**_ indicates scene transition **

* * *

Chapter 1: **

Seto closed his eyes as the plane landed and resisted the urge massage his sore shoulders. His mouth twitched as they tensed up again and tried to make himself relax. He was _not_ nervous. He was _not_. All he had to do was find the Duelist that was causing all the magical attacks in Smallville, defeat said Duelist, fix the magical barriers, stay a little while afterwards to help with damage control, get out and go back to Domino. All while keeping a low profile, going to an American school, running his company, planning the new tournament that was due to come out in six months, and juggle living with a family of strangers. He'd had stress and responsibilities like this before (well not exactly, but running a multi-billion dollar company and working with a Board of Directors that were a bunch of cutthroats and double-crossers wasn't exactly all tea and cookies), so that wasn't the problem. Then why were his hands sweaty?

Seto frowned and wiped them on his faded jeans. Mokuba hadn't been kidding when he said that he was going to change his wardrobe.

_"No more trench coats, nisama," Mokuba had sternly ordered._

_"Fine."_

_"No silver briefcase."_

_"Fine."_

_"And no growling."_

_"Why?"_

_"You have to be at least mildly pleasant. These people have come to take care of you. Try to act more like…like…Bakura-kun." _(1)

_"You mean the white-haired Duelist who looks like a strong wind could knock him over?"_

_"Nisama!"_

_"Fine, Mokuba, I'll try." _

Seto looked down at himself. He wore indigo jeans with a hole in one of the knees. They were tattered at the bottom and splattered with bleach. On top he wore a black long-sleeved t-shirt and a slightly worn leather jacket. The only articles of clothing he had kept from his original attire were his locket and boots. In his jean pockets were his cell phone, his deck, and an MP3 player that Mokuba had given him so he could blend in more with the rest of the teenager population.

Seto opened his eyes as the plane landed with a numerous amount of jostling and bumps. He smirked as the passengers gasped at the jolting. He could have landed the plane much more smoothly.

"Passengers of American Airlines on flight 3478, those of you that came from Japan Air on flight 4571 that arrived in Chicago, Illinois, this is your captain speaking. Welcome to Metropolis, Delaware. The time is currently 5:12 PM and the temperature is 63˚ Fahrenheit."

Seto automatically made calculations to convert the temperature and concluded that it was 17.222222˚ Celsius.

"If you are going to Austin, Texas, please remain in your seats. As for everyone else, you may stand only when the plane has come to a complete stop and the seat belt sign has turned off."

As the seat belt sign turned off, Seto clicked it open and stood, glad to finally be able to stretch his long legs. He regretted buying a coach ticket, but, as Mokuba and Yami had said, he had to keep a low profile. Picking up his carry-on in one hand and his laptop in the other, he patiently waited in line as the other passengers gathered their packages and rushed for a place. He walked off the plane, quickly recovering from the mild disorientation he always got after flying. Unfortunately, the headache that was always present whenever he got back on the ground remained.

As he walked out of the tunnel connecting the plane to building, he entered the airport and spotted a small sign with his name on it. Holding the sign was a pale, blonde girl about five-foot seven dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved shirt with a denim jacket. Beside her was a dark haired, balding middle-aged man also wearing jeans but instead of a denim jacket, he wore a coat. Seto walked over to them and stared at them. (2)

"Are you Seto Ryuujin?" asked the man, looking slightly suspicious as he sized up Seto's six-foot-two height and non-Japanese features.

"Yes."

"Oh, well, I am Gabe Sullivan. This is my daughter Chloe." The man spoke slowly, as if Seto was a simpleton.

"Sullivan-san, don't degrade me. I know how to speak English."

Gabe Sullivan's cheeks colored and Chloe arched an eyebrow. "Well, then, let's get the rest of your luggage," Sullivan said hastily. "Do you need any help with those?"

Seto shook his head and they walked to the luggage carousel.

"Excuse me for prying, but-" Chloe started to say when Seto interrupted her.

"I don't look Japanese?" Seto guessed, and then smirked at Chloe's nod. "I had a grandmother that was American." (3)

"Oh."

They retrieved Seto's two suitcases and loaded them into their station wagon. Seto got into the backseat while Chloe got in the front and her father drove.

"Smallville is thirty minutes away from Metropolis, so why don't we get to know each other?" Sullivan asked.

Seto felt the vein above his right eye twitch involuntarily. _Why me? Why the hell did I agree to this mission anyways?_

"So, Seto, what are your hobbies?" Sullivan asked.

Luckily for Seto, he had mentally prepared to answer all types of standard questions that he would be asked. "First of all, I would like to be referred to by my last name only."

Silence ruled the car.

"Okay," Chloe said slowly.

"As for my hobbies, I like to play Duel Monsters and design computer programs and graphics." Seto said smoothly. It was almost the truth, after all.

"Duel Monsters?"

Seto raised an eyebrow. He knew he had signed contracts to build KaibaLand in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and other major cities across the US. It had been in many American newspapers such as New York Times and the Los Angeles Times, and he had even gotten an article in Time Magazine, so why hadn't this town heard of it? "I guess you haven't heard of it yet. It is extremely popular in Japan and I heard that Kaiba-san, who designed arenas and other equipment so participants in Duel Monsters can play the game virtually, is building amusement parks all around the United States." It felt very disconcerting to be talking about himself in third person.

"What is it, exactly?" Chloe asked.

"It's a card game. There are monster, magic, and trap cards. You design and create a deck where all of the magic, trap, and monster cards can be combined to perform as best as they possibly can. You are against an opponent who also has a deck and you draw out the cards and either play what is in your hand or save them for later to use in your strategy. Depending on what version of the game you are playing, you either have 2000, 4000, or 8000 life points, and each monster has an attack and defense power. You have to defeat your opponent's monsters and attack their life points and bring them down to zero to win." (4)

"Sounds cool. Do you have a deck with you?" Chloe asked.

"No, I left it at home. I didn't think anyone knew how to play here." Seto lied. He didn't like strangers handling his deck. "But there are sites online about it and they should have pictures of the cards."

"When was this game invented?" Sullivan asked.

"I don't know the exact date, but it was invented by a man named Pegasus J. Crawford." Seto found that he was unable to keep some of the venom out of his voice as he sad Pegasus's name. No amount of mental prepping could hide the loathing Seto felt for the man.

"It sounds like you don't like Pegasus," Chloe said, turning around to face Seto with a raised eyebrow.

"I read some unflattering articles about his lifestyle and personality. In short, the man was a lunatic."

"Was? Is he dead?"

Seto shrugged. "He disappeared after holding a huge tournament. No one really knows where he is or if he's still alive." (5) _And if I see Pegasus again in my lifetime, it will be far too soon._

He noticed that his fingernails were digging into his palm and forced himself to relax before he drew blood. Every citizen of Japan knew never to get Seto thinking about the one-eyed psycho. His violent temper always got the better of him where Pegasus was concerned. Various smashed vases and shattered picture frames could vouch for it.

Seto slipped his hand into the pocket that held his deck and brushed his fingers against the cards, feeling them warm from his touch. An echo of a dragon's roar reached Seto's ears and he sighed and his tense muscles loosened, his heart getting considerably lighter. He didn't know why, but ever since he had received the Sennen Rod from Yami, his Blue Eyes White Dragons were always there in the back of his mind whenever he needed comforting. It should have unnerved him as magic always did, but for some reason it felt old and familiar, like how he sometimes was reminded of the fragrance of his mother's perfume.

"So what about your family? You mentioned you had a brother. What is his name?" Sullivan asked, trying to break the silence in the car.

"Mokuba. He's thirteen. He likes Duel Monsters, but his favorite game is Monster Capsule Chess. It's somewhat hard to explain when you don't have the board in front of you." Surprisingly, Mokuba still liked the game, even after his experience with Yami at Death-T. Seto mentally shook his head and cut off that train of thought. He did _not_ want think about Death-T. (6)

"What about your parents?" Chloe asked.

Seto's jaw clenched. In just five minutes, everything he had been forced to talk or remember every subject he hated. This was not a good start to the mission. Making sure he had a strong rein on his emotions, he said, "They're dead."

Thankfully the Sullivans took the hint and the rest of the car ride was spent in blissful silence.

_**>>>>**_

"And we've arrived in Smallville!" Sullivan announced. Having gotten tired of the miles of cornfields, Seto had relied on the regular teenage-like attitude of listening to his MP3 player and ignoring the rest of the car's occupants. He returned his gaze to the window to see a faded sign that read, "Smallville, Kansas: The Meteor Capital of the World!" Underneath that read "Population: 1,001". Seto stifled a chuckle. (7) They passed by various farmhouses and as they got nearer to the town itself, Seto glimpsed tiny shops, a grocery store, a movie theater, Smallville High School, and a two-story coffee house called "The Talon".

Seto's brow furrowed and his hand went to the deck in his pocket. He felt the Sennen Rod hidden underneath his jacket pulse against his back. Seto had managed to smuggle it from Japan.He was _not_ going to enter this dangerous mission without one of his most powerful weapons just because ofAmerican security.Seto's fingers wrapped around the Rod and he bit his lip as he felt his senses reach out. There was something…missing in this town. Something important and he didn't know what. His headache was getting stronger each passing moment.

They drove away from the main part of Smallville and entered the suburban area. They stopped in front of a two story house painted white and pale green with a flowerbed full of red, white, and pink roses; a very green lawn; and three steps leading up to a whitewashed porch. On the porch positioned to the right of the wooden front door and adjacent to the large framed window was a swinging bench.

"Here we are!" Sullivan said cheerfully. Seto turned off his MP3 player and put the headphones around his neck. He gathered his carry-on and laptop and exited the car. Sullivan opened the trunk and grabbed his suitcases before Seto could protest and carried them to the porch.

Chloe took out her key and unlocked the door and went inside, Seto and Sullivan following her. They entered through a kitchen painted French countryside yellow with a white stove, pale yellow cupboards, and a rich wooden circular table with a vase of white daisies set in the middle.

"You're staying upstairs in the guest room," Chloe explained. Seto nodded and picked up his things and followed her upstairs. The upstairs was also painted a pale French countryside yellow and there was a mirror in the hallway with a long wooden table covered with a white tablecloth lined with lace underneath the mirror. There were four doors in the hallway, two on the left side and two on the right.

Chloe pointed to the first door on the left.

"Over here is the bathroom and the second door is my dad's bedroom. The first one on the right is my bedroom and this is your room, Ryuujin!" Chloe cheerfully said as she opened the door farthest on the right and flicked the light switch next to the door.

Seto entered the room and placed his carry-on and laptop on the navy and light blue quilt that covered the bed and observed his surroundings. The room was small and square with cream and teal colored walls and four light bulbs embedded in the ceiling. On the walls were several framed photos of Chloe and her dad at the carnival, park, and on the front porch. The carpet was dyed cream to match the walls and the room was decorated simply. On the western wall were a wooden armoire and a large walk-in closet. On the south wall was a full bed with a wooden beside table on the left side and a wooden bookcase on the right. On the bedside table were a black desk lamp, an orange alarm clock, and a gray portable phone. In front of the bed was a denim bean bag. Seto had never owned a bean bag before and vaguely wondered what sitting in one felt like. Behind and to the left of the bed were rectangular windows with cream shutters. The shutters were open, letting the late afternoon sun filter in.

"So?" Chloe held out her hands.

Seto bit back a slightly rude reply and found Mokuba's voice echoing in his mind_. 'Try to act more like…like…Bakura-kun!'_ He swallowed and managed to say, "It's nice."

Chloe's smile widened and Seto resisted the urge to shift nervously. "Good! Well, since you just came from a fourteen hour plane ride and it is Friday and you don't have to go to school until Monday, you want to take a nap, right?"

Seto blinked. Could this girl read minds or did he really look as tired as he felt? "Yes, I do." He said it more shortly than he intended, but damn it, there was this headache in his temples and the fuzziness in his head just wouldn't go away. Luckily, Chloe understood these things and chuckled.

"You sounded just like Clark when he pulls an all-nighter. Well, I'll leave you to your beauty sleep. Sweet dreams." Chloe turned and left the room before she could see the alarm in Seto's eyes.

_Sweet dreams. Shit._

Seto walked to the wall and tapped on it, putting an ear against it. He swore when he didn't like what he heard and sat down on the bed beside his carry-on. It was just as he had feared: the room wasn't soundproofed. Why hadn't he thought about this before he signed up for this idiotic mission? There was a reason why his room back at the mansion was heavily soundproofed. Seto ran a tired hand over his face and decided that when the nightmares came, he'd be able to think of what to say then. He placed his carry-on and laptop on the floor and removed his jacket and boots and placed the Sennen Rod inside a drawer in the bedside table. He closed the shutters and turned off the lights and climbed onto the bed, falling asleep instantly.

_**>>>>**_

It was the ringing tone of Beethoven's Moonlight Serenade that brought him out of his slumber. Eyes closed and brain fuzzy from sleep, Seto tried to answer the alarm clock. Then the lamp. Two more tries later he closed his hand around cool, smooth plastic and blearily opened his eyes to check the ID. It was Yami.

"What…do you want?" Seto asked, finding it difficult to string words together.

"It's Yami."

"I don't know a Yami. Call back later."

"Very funny Kaiba."

"What do you want, Yami?" Seto repeated.

"I wanted to make sure you made it to Smallville."

_Since when does he care about my safety?_ "What?"

"This is a dangerous mission, Kaiba."

"If you don't leave me alone, I'll go on a mission to eviscerate you, kisama (8). Goodbye." Seto hung up the phone, turned it off, and pulled one of the two pillows over his head. Soon, he was asleep again.

**_>>>>_**

Seto returned to the world of the living with a fuzzy mind and a pounding headache. He shifted on the bed and frowned when he realized that he didn't feel his soft duvet under his fingers, but a quilt. If he wasn't in his room, then where was he? And why did he feel so drowsy? In a flash he remembered.

_I'm on a secret mission to stop a rogue Duelist,_ he confirmed to himself. He opened his eyes and shifted so he could look at the alarm clock beside his bed only to discover it wasn't there. Seto frowned and glanced on the floor where it now lay. Grunting, he reached down and picked it up, looking at the time. It was eight o' clock. He'd been asleep for around three and a half hours and felt like he needed another five. However, Seto was used to little sleep, so with an act of will and strong discipline, Seto put the alarm clock back on the bedside table and made himself get up.

_Might as well unpack._ Seto replaced the Sennen Rod underneath his jacket and lifted his suitcases onto his bed. He was halfway through the second suitcase when his cell rang. _That had better not be Yami._ He checked the caller ID and saw that it was Mokuba. He pressed the talk button and held it up to his ear.

"Morning nisama," Mokuba's cheery voice sounded through the phone.

Seto checked the alarm clock and did some quick calculations in his head. It was 8:22 in the evening in Smallville, so it must have been 11:22 in the morning in Domino. (9)

"Good morning Mokuba," Seto answered. Now, Mokuba called at the right time. Yami didn't.

"I warned Yami about calling you, but he didn't listen. He wants to speak to you now."

"I won't talk to him until tomorrow."

"Nisama-"

"I mean it."

"You're being childish, Kaiba," Seto heard Yami say in the background.

"I don't care." That damn headache was still bothering Seto, and he wasn't sure it was because of the jet lag anymore.

"Do you have a headache, nisama?"

Seto frowned. "I do. Why does that matter?"

"Yami says it's because your senses are trying to get used to the new levels of magic. You're only used to one type of level, so your body is working overtime to adjust."

Great. Yet another hated aspect of magic. "How long does it last?"

"Only another day or two. Yami says your usual diet of coffee should make it better, but he says that coffee won't do it alone."

Seto snorted. _Why would Yami worry about my eating habits? What has Mokuba been telling him?_ Pushing down the sudden panic with the unshakable knowledge that Mokuba would never betray him, Seto asked, "Is everything running smoothly?"

"Seto, it's only been a day. Of course everything has been running smoothly."

"Oh, right." Damn, the headache was making it hard for him to think.

A knock sounded on Seto's closed door. "Ryuujin? Are you up yet?" Chloe's voice filtered in through the door.

"I have to go, Mokuba. I'll call you later. Call me if anything happens."

"Of course, Seto." Mokuba hung up and Seto did as well, placing the cell phone in his jeans pocket.

"I'm up. Come in," Seto answered.

The door opened. "Hey, Ryuujin," Chloe greeted the CEO. "Unpacking?"

Seto nodded.

"Well, even though we have no school tomorrow, it would be a good idea to get to the school to confirm your registration."

"Of course." Upon further examination, the student exchange program involved the exchange students staying in the United States for three months, so the student had to go to school, like Yami had suggested. Seto doubted that his stay here would be even relatively normal, especially with the mission he had to complete.

Chloe walked in and sat on the beanbag. Seto chose to ignore her for the moment and continued unpacking. Finally, Chloe spoke. "Hey, Ryuujin?"

"Mm?" Seto paused in the act of putting away several long-sleeved shirts in the drawers in the armoire.

"There have been a couple of weird occurrences in Smallville recently, and I think it has to do with that game you told us about in the car earlier. Duel Monsters, is it?"

"What kind of "occurrences" are you speaking of?"

"Well, about a week ago these two LexCorp employees…wait; you know LexCorp is headquartered in Smallville, right?"

Seto almost, _almost_ rolled his eyes. Of course the CEO of Kaiba Corporation knew where the headquarters of every major company was located, even though Lex Luthor and his company posed no big threat to him. Seto Ryuujin, however, did not necessarily roll his eyes at this information, so Seto nodded instead. He also silently vowed to never refer to himself as "Seto Ryuujin" again in threat of developing a multiple personality disorder like that insane Malik Ishtar.

"Anyways, about a week ago, two LexCorp employees working on a new top secret development for LexCorp saw a Duel Monster."

"Really? Which one?" Seto finished putting away his pants and shut the door firmly on the armoire, making Chloe start.

"Well, actually it was later discovered that the employees were drug addicts and their kids love the game so that's where the hallucination came from, but they swore that an "Armored Starfish" attacked them."

_Armored Starfish. Attack 850. Defense 1400. Category: Aqua monster, four stars. Better on defense than offense, so why did the rogue Duelist use it to attack? Unless he was defending himself at the same time. _"Interesting."

"Well?"

Seto raised an eyebrow.

"You're a whatchamacallit, a 'duelist' so what do you think?" Chloe shifted on the beanbag until she faced the CEO.

"I think that these employees were suffering from hallucinations. Duel Monsters don't come 'alive'. It could be a malfunction of someone's Duel Disk, but I doubt it." Seto shut the suitcases with a snap and stored them under the bed and started to unpack his carry-on. He had not taken his Duel Disk because he knew that no other Duelists worthy of his recognition were in Smallville and, even though he loved his inventions, it was easier to summon when you physically held the cards.

"Duel Disk?"

"An invention created by Kaiba-san. It helps you play the game using holograms. I've heard that without the safety protocols on the Duel Disk that the game can get quite harmful to the player. But I don't think a malfunctioning Duel Disk can have the monster attack someone not involved in the Duel."

"Do you know the number of this Kaiba-san's company?"

Seto stored his carry-on items in the bedside table and bookshelf and then slid the carry-on bag under the bed. He then leaned against a wall so he could stare down at Chloe.

"No, but I expect you could find a website." Seto made a mental note to warn Mokuba of a call in the future by an American girl named Chloe Sullivan. Then again, the call would not be transferred to Mokuba, but to the Customer Service department. Seto changed his mental note to double-check where his Duel Disks have been purchased. He knew the Armored Starfish was summoned by magic and there were no exceptional Duelists in Smallville, but it never hurt to check and see if he could rub in failure in the paranoid ex-Pharaoh's face.

"So, what's this game like?"

"What?"

"Well, you seem to be an experienced player and there are weird things going on in Smallville that are tied with Duel Monsters, so I want to 'get to know the enemy'."

"Do you investigate paranormal happenings in this town?" Just when things couldn't get any worse…

"Uh, yeah, in a way,"

…They did. Seto resisted the urge to bang his head into the wall. Of all the people he could have ended up with, he had to stay with the person that was obsessed with magic and the paranormal. _I hate my life._ "Why would a person that appears to be rational be interested in something like the paranormal?"

Chloe shrugged, grinning. "It's like…a calling, really. I really like to report things and my dream is to be a journalist, so I like to discover the truth. And this town has enough weirdness already."

Seto arched an eyebrow. "Such as?"

"Well, it all started in 1988 when this town experienced a horrible meteor shower. Killed a lot of people and damaged a lot of property."

Ah, hence the sign at the entrance of the town reading 'Meteor Capital of the World!' "Go on."

"The meteors themselves weren't normal. In fact, whenever people come into contact with them, it turns them into mutants."

"Mutants."

"Yep, mutants." Chloe's eyes glittered. "I've got tons of articles on them, I'll show you them at school tomorrow. I've even written some in the Torch."

"The Torch?"

"School paper. I'm the editor." As she said this, Chloe proudly lifted her chin a fraction of an inch. "So, what's playing Duel Monsters like?"

_Damn, I was hoping she'd forgotten about that._ What could he say? Should he be honest? He couldn't act like his usual self, well, at least not completely like his usual self. But he couldn't tell her how he privately felt about the game either. A blend of the two, perhaps? "Duel Monsters….when you play with the Duel Disks, the game itself comes alive. You see them out there, and you want to use them to their full potential…you…you want them to be able to do everything they can….because even if they aren't really alive, it _feels_ like it. When they are cut, _you_ bleed, and not just because of the Disk. The rush you receive when you summon a powerful monster and the joy you feel when you destroy your opponent's monster, it's incredible. The challenge an opponent can give you encourages you to think faster and better than you have before.

"Every person has a monster that they feel are part of themselves, part of their very soul. They are connected to them. So whenever they are out on the field, it's as if you are there, fighting, and it's the best feeling in the world. That's what playing Duel Monsters is like." _K'so _(10)_, why couldn't I just _stop talking_ once in a while?_

Chloe gaze was wide-eyed. "Wow. I never figured you to be a romantic."

Seto arched an eyebrow. "I am _not_ a romantic."

Chloe snorted. "Shyeah right. That bit back there? Behind that icy exterior of yours is a nice marshmallowy soft heart. Face it, Ryuujin, you are a romantic."

"How can you come to that conclusion when you have only known me for a total of eight hours?"

"I'm good at reading people."

Seto's eyebrow rose higher. "To imitate you, Sullivan, 'shyeah right'."

Chloe rolled her eyes.

"And I doubt you can uncover the truth to these supposed paranormal happenings in Smallville. They are most likely the product of your overactive imagination."

Chloe sat up from her lounged position in the bean bag. "You did _not _just say that."

"Afraid I did."

"Take that back."

"No."

"_Take that back!_"

"No."

Chloe stood, balling her fists. "Ryuujin!"

"What?" Seto smirked at her.

"I-I-argh!" Chloe threw up her hands and stormed out of the room. Seto smiled quietly to himself.

_Well that got her distracted and out of my hair for a while._ Seto frowned and he straightened from his position against the wall, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up. A barely noticeable wisp of Shadow magic had just floated past his senses. Seto's eyes narrowed and he looked around the room. Underneath his jacket, he felt the Sennen Rod warm slightly and took it out, holding it erect. He waved it around the room and frowned even more when it glowed slightly around where the beanbag was. He prowled the room like a tiger, trying to see if the faint Shadow magic came from outside or anywhere else, but found that it was only centered on the beanbag and formed a path from the beanbag to the door. The only person who had been there recently was Chloe.

_Does she…no. She cannot have shadow magic._

Then again, Chloe did say she had 'a calling' for the paranormal. Those with Shadow magic did attract the strange and weird and often unsettling. Seto twisted his mouth as he put the Sennen Rod away. He would have to keep a closer eye on the blonde from now on. He did not like how this mission was turning out. Not one bit.

_**>>>>**_

Sunday afternoon found Seto in the principal's office at Smallville High. It amused Seto that the principal was just as much a workaholic as he was (she was present at the school on a Sunday afternoon) but he doubted she could run a multi-billion dollar company.

"Okay Mr. Ryuujin, here is your schedule and your locker number. Welcome to Smallville High." The principal, Mrs. Walters, beamed at Seto and reflexively tucked her shoulder-length dark brown hair behind her ears. Seto resisted the urge to give her one of his infamous glares that always sent his secretaries fleeing. Mrs. Walters was entirely too cheerful for his tastes. _She needs to lose a few pounds._ Seto eyed how her shirt buttons pulled at her bulging chest and stomach.

He glanced down at his schedule and arched an eyebrow.

"AP Chemistry, AP Ancient History, AP Trigonometry, Honors English, PE, Computer Programming, French V Honors, and one free block?"

"We received your test scores and IQ level from your previous school and the only classes we have that could challenge you were our most advanced classes. If you don't mind being with a lot of seniors in some of your classes, that is."

Seto didn't bother to answer. What did he care?

The principal took his silence for consent and her smile widened. "Good." Mrs. Walters looked positively pleased that such a gifted student had come to her school. Seto sighed inwardly. He had met teachers like this before. He glanced down at his schedule again. The PE classes could become a problem, and the Computer Programming class was going to be a joke. He could probably do some work in that class and free up an hour in his day. Seto could also use Mrs. Walter's enthusiasm about having such a "talented" student to his advantage to changing his schedule.

"Walter-san, is it necessary that I take a physical education course?"

After all, he wasn't named businessman of the decade for nothing.

**_>>>>_**

Seto smirked to himself as he exited the office. He now had two free blocks instead of one. Physical education was gone and out, just like that girl Chloe.

"Hey Ryuujin, lemmie see your schedule." Chloe stood from the bench she had been sitting on outside of the principal's office and jogged to catch up to Seto's long strides.

Perhaps the girl wasn't as irked at him as he'd thought. He'd have to work on that.

"I thought you were still not talking to me." Seto remarked, holding his schedule out of her reach, and easy task as he stood a full head and a half taller than her.

"I overreacted, your Highness. I can't blame the fact that you're an arrogant royal pain-in-the-tokhes. Let me see your schedule!"

"'Your Highness?' That's a new one." Pain-in-the-tokhes, however, wasn't. He'd once had a Jewish client who'd known Yiddish that had called him many things besides 'pain-in-the-tokhes'.

Chloe stopped her attempts to grab his schedule to stare at him. "How could you have gone through life acting like you do and never been insulted?"

"I'm not saying that I haven't been insulted; I'm just saying no one has ever accused me of royalty." Jounouchi just usually called him a selfish bastard.

While Seto was occupied with his thoughts Chloe used the opportunity to snatch his schedule. "Whoa, are you like some kind of genius? You have, like, three thousand AP classes! I'm in AP Ancient History. Mr. Malone's real tough; you have to take really detailed notes or else you'll fail all the tests. Luckily, we don't have any semester review tests coming up, but if we do, I could lend you my notes," Chloe stared at him. "No really, are you a genius?"

"They were awed by my IQ and test scores," Seto said smugly.

"Thinking of being valedictorian?"

"No."

"You'd probably be picked if you stayed."

"Which is why I'm not staying."

"If you hate Smallville so much, why did you come?"

"Personal reasons."

"Like-?"

"Why would I tell you?"

"Why not?" I won't stop asking until you tell me. Come on, Ryuujin!" Chloe made puppy-dog eyes at Seto and he resisted the urge to laugh.

"I have a little brother that gives me that look every day. He's better and far more convincing."

"Ryuujin! Tell me!" Chloe whined.

She's going to drive me insane unless I answer her. "I wanted to see if I could make it."

"Make it?"

"Going to school and living in a different country is a challenge, is it not?"

"Yeah, but you don't have to prove it. To whom? Your guardian?"

"I don't have a guardian."

"Then who takes care of you and your brother?"

"I take care of my brother."

"Is that allowed? You're still a minor."

"I am emancipated."

"Oh, yeah, duh." Chloe slapped her forehead with the hand that didn't hold Seto's schedule.

"Since when did this conversation become an interrogation about my life?"

"Since you actually started talking to me without insulting me for 2.5 seconds," Chloe shot back, pressing his schedule into his open palm. "So you came to America to prove to yourself you can make it in real life. You know, Ryuujin, most people take vacations for fun."

"Fun? What's that?" Seto rolled his eyes.

"Argh! You are impossible! Absolutely impossible! Can't you at least say one word without smugness, sarcasm, or snobbery?"

"I could try, but it would be a lost cause."

"At least you have a sense of humor, albeit a sarcastic one," Chloe grumbled and left, slamming the double doors at the entrance of Smallville High behind her. Seto shrugged, put his schedule neatly away in his backpack, and followed her.

_**>>>>**_

_::His breaths came in short, painful gasps. He was kneeling on the carpet, the only position he could achieve that granted him the least amount of pain. His stomach, back, and collarbones were on fire. His hands that were currently resting on the carpet clutched the long fibers so tightly he had even pulled some out._

_"I warned you what would happen, Seto, if you didn't complete the project in time." Gozaburo stood over him, riding crop clutched in one hand and his foul cigar stuck in his teeth. "You have to play the penalty game. That was just the first level and there are two levels to this penalty game."_

_Seto did not look up at the man; he just kept staring at the carpet. If the beating had only been the first level, how painful would the second level be? Could he beat it? He had to win, no matter what. He didn't even know why Gozaburo was letting him go onto the next level; Seto was pretty sure he had failed this one. After all, Gozaburo was the one who was standing, and Seto was kneeling on the floor. But he couldn't help it; it felt as if knives were stuck in his body. Idly, Seto wondered if Gozaburo would progress to using steel weapons instead of fists and feet and that riding crop._

_He heard Gozaburo walk over to his desk, open a drawer, take out a heavy object, and close the drawer. Gozaburo walked back to where Seto was still kneeling and tossed the object so that it landed on the carpet inches from Seto's hands. It was a silver handgun and it gleamed in the sunlight. Seto stared at it._

_"Now that I've caught your attention, Seto, I'll tell you about the second level. You have two options: one, you could shoot me, but you wouldn't get that far without my guards stopping you."_

_Seto looked up and observed the four armed guards in the room: two at the double doors, one on the south wall, and one on the north wall._

_"Two: you could shoot yourself and end your misery."_

_Seto turned his gaze to Gozaburo, who easily stared him down._

_"Choose, Seto, or you will have forfeited and lost."_

_Seto picked up the gun and stood, his muscles trembling from the beating. The gun was heavy and bulky in his hands. Seto eyed the guards, who hands were on their holsters, but they hadn't drawn their guns yet. Try to shoot Gozaburo and be taken down by the guards, or shoot himself. In both circumstances, Seto would die. That was not an option. Seto had Mokuba he would protect him. _He_ would decide when to end his life, not Gozaburo, and certainly not the penalty game._

_Seto shifted the gun in his hands and turned away from Gozaburo, looking only to the only unguarded wall. For the first time he noticed there was a large, circular mirror on the wall, framed by dark, rich wood. Seto caught a glance of his reflection, of his pale and non-expressive face and of his eyes smoldering with hatred and loathing, and fired. Mirrored glass shattered outwards. Some shard cut Seto under his left eyes, on the apple of his left cheek, and along his neck and jawbone, just missing the major veins. He had chosen the impossible third option: he had shot the mirror._

_Seto turned and faced Gozaburo, gun still clutched in his hands, eyes narrowed and challenging. Behind the glare was a gaze of frightened question: had he won? had he lost?_

_Gozaburo smiled a snake's sly smile and walked over, quickly taking the gun from his adopted son's hands._

_"You pass."_

_The scene darkened to black and Yami's face materialized. "In a shadow game, your true intentions and feelings are revealed."_

_Seto found himself responding. "No, in a _penalty_ game your true feelings are revealed."::_

Seto sat up with a hastily choked back gasp. With shaking hands, he rubbed his face, wiping away the sweat.

"My first penalty game," Seto said to himself (11). "Not bad for the first nightmare. It's not even a real nightmare. Maybe they're finally starting to calm down." He snorted. "Yeah right."

He checked the clock. It was 3:30. He had four and a half hours of sleep, and three and a half hours before he had to get up for school. He picked his laptop off of his bedside table, turned it on, and started to work. He would work for an hour and then try to go back to sleep. After all, one could still write formulas and equations in their AP Chemistry class on four and a half hours of sleep if Seto could be a CEO and work to his best ability on three, couldn't he?

* * *

A/N: Warning: long footnotes and long author's notes, not as long review replies. Just bear with me please, because to those of you who are not as in-tune to Yu-Gi-Oh as I am, I have to explain everything.

* * *

Footnotes: 

(1) "Kun" is the bane ending in Japanese used for a male that is your age or a male younger than you. Yugi uses "kun" a lot (as does Ryou, it's considered polite), but the producer for Bad Luck in the anime Gravitation uses it to address a younger boy, so I'm not quite sure of the exact definition.

(2) I know that probably in student exchange programs, they have a bunch of students in one place and an adult supervisor meeting the students at the airport or flying with them, but I just had to have Seto alone.

(3) It has always bugged me a little how in anime, _no one_ looks Japanese (except in Inuyasha and Rurouni Kenshin) so I wanted to come up with an explanation for Seto's looks (I had a longer version, but my beta and I thought it would eb best to cut it out.) Don't ask me to come up with Yugi's or Bakura's, though.

(4) In the real world, I've read that Duel Monsters is played with 8000 life points, so I thought it would be nice to include it in the story. I know it was a really rough explanation of the game, but it would take a long time to explain it and Seto and I weren't up for it. I wanted to get on with the story.

(5) In the anime, after the shadow game between Bakura and Pegasus (you know, where he steals Pegasus's Sennen Eye) they show Pegasus being carried down to the hospital by his security and then he disappears. Pegasus shows up way later in the Doom arc, but I really don't like the man (his voice drove me _nuts_) so I prefer the version in the manga where Bakura kills Pegasus.

(6) With those not so familiar with the manga and Death-T, here is a helpful hint. Before Yami banishes Seto's dark side (insert Darth Vader theme here) Seto was a homicidal maniac. He designed a fatal theme park intended for Yugi and his friends (I forget why, if someone out there knows, can they tell me?) that had incredibly lethal games, like laser tag with real lasers and a haunted house ride that electrocuted you if you made one sound. On one level, Mokuba (against Seto's wishes) challenges Yugi/Yami to Monster Capsule Chess (because Mokuba is the champion at this game) and after losing, Seto makes Mokuba play the penalty game. The penalty is a chamber of horrors where you have holograms of Duel Monsters killing you. It pretty much scares you to death, literally. Fortunately, Yami/Yugi pulls him out of the chamber and saves Mokuba's life. We (meaning hardcore Seto and Yu-Gi-Oh fans) think that this is one of the reasons Seto is so tortured was because he got so out of control he nearly murdered his own brother. Also, in another game of Monsters Capsule Chess, Mokuba was playing against Yami and had rigged the game to be in Mokuba's favor. Yami, naturally, still won and then mad Mokuba eat poison as a punishment. Yep, those were the crazy psychopathic Yami days that will never be shown on TV.

(7) I'm serious, that's what the sign says at the entrance to Smallville.

(8) "Kisama" means "bastard." Seto uses it a lot in the dubtitled anime.

(9) It's about a fifteen hour time difference between Kansas and Japan, I checked the net. Someone tell me if I'm wrong, 'cause it's such a huge time gap.

(10) "K'so" means "shit."

(11) I had this image pop into my head of Seto shooting a mirror so I had to do something with it. I also like the theory that his first penalty game with Yami was not the first one he had ever played. I also like the theory that Seto's ability to play games for fun was destroyed by Gozaburo. Props to Nenya85 for coming up with these theories.

* * *

Review Replies: 

**Kagemihari:** As I've already told you, thank you so much for your comments and corrections. They mean a lot to me.

**Amy Johnson:** Sorry about the long wait. I was in a place that I was unable to update (bad and very old computer) and then Kagemihari (my beta) was also very busy so she wasn't able to beta very quickly and then I was in Washington DC this weekend and then I had format troubles...the list goes on and on. I'm very glad you are amused and like this story.

Everyone else, thank you for your comments.

* * *

A/N:

Wow, long footnotes. Now onto super-long author notes! -listens for applause and only hears crickets chirping and shrugs.-

Okay, so I was having a little bit of trouble with this chapter because I love writing angsty and funny scenes and get a little bored while writing necessity scenes like descriptions and all, so I had to force myself. Sorry if the description paragraphs are less than nice. I was also really anal about editing (and I have a beta! Yay!) so this took a little longer than planned. Second chapter is going to be up…I dunno when. I have the third and fourth chapters halfway finished; I just need a transition chapter. Sorry to those who wanted Seto interactions with more Smallville characters, I'm still not sure of who to put in. Lois is new and I don't know much about her, so I'm not sure if I can write her, so I may just leave her out. I also don't know much about Lana's bf (can't even remember his name) so he's probably not going to show up very much. But there is going to be plenty of Seto and Lex Luthor clashing going on, especially with Lex going to the dark side. Any guesses on what the "secret experiment" is? Be warned, it is more complex than you think. And there's going to be a character from the Yu-Gi-Oh cast in Smallville in the fourth or fifth chapter, cookies for those who guess right. To my few, worried fans: don't worry, I have big plans for this story and a somewhat outline of what's going to happen. I just need to get my brain organized and into some semblance of order. You know that oxymoron of organized chaos? Oh well, sayonara until next time!

* * *


	3. Of Mishaps and Magic

**

* * *

A/N: **

_Italics_ is thoughts  
_::blah:: _is dreaming  
_>>>>_ is scene transition

**

* * *

Chapter 2: Of Mishaps and Magic **

A door slamming downstairs broke Seto's concentration. The golden glow around his MP3 player and the Sennen Rod faded and the music player dropped to the ground. Seto lowered the Rod and glared at the floor. His room was right over the kitchen, and if someone made a loud enough noise, Seto could hear it. Even though the person responsible for slamming the door would never see the glare, it made Seto feel better. He stuffed the Rod back underneath his jacket and wiped the sweat that was running into his eyes. He could grudgingly accept that he had been a sorcerer and a High Priest in his past life, but knowing the spells then didn't mean that he could still do them easily now. Some spells came easily to him, most didn't. Yami had been right when he said that this mission would give Seto the chance to practice his new magical skills. Seto walked over to his MP3 player and picked it off the floor and placed it on his bedside table. He had been trying to lift it to the ceiling for the past half-hour and had only succeeded in lifting it halfway.

_Magic would be so much simpler if I could remember all of the goddamn spells; not just bits and pieces!_ Receiving the Sennen Rod had not been enough to trigger his past memories, oh no, they came back in flashes, dreams, and visions. Seto's lip curled as he remembered when he had received his first vision when that Ishtar woman had shown him that godawaful tablet. What was worse, half a year later, after he had received the Sennen Rod, he had even remembered carving that same tablet. Whether it was in friendship or respect for an enemy, Seto still didn't know that.

Despite his better judgment, Seto had recorded whatever information he received from his flashes, dreams, and visions in a notebook. These spells were written in code; a mix of kanji and hieroglyphics to keep it away from unfriendly eyes if the notebook should ever be snatched.

Seto ran a hand through his sweaty hair and grimaced.

_I need a shower. Then I need to get back to real work._

"Ryuujin!" Chloe's voice shouted from downstairs. "Come on down to the kitchen, I want you to meet someone!"

Seto rolled his eyes. "Who is it?" he called back.

"Come down and see!"

Seto swallowed a groan and opened his door, making his way down the stairs to the kitchen and froze as his feet hit the tiled kitchen floor. He could feel the Rod pulse against his back and swore he heard a faint rumble. _Is it…growling? Why? What's causing it? _

He blinked furiously as _warning_ and _threat_ set off alarms in his head and his fingers reached for his deck hidden in his pocket when he checked them. He pushed the Rod's warning to the back of his mind and focused on what was in front of him. Sitting in a chair at the kitchen table munching on a green apple was a tall, well-built, black-haired, green-eyed teen. He looked human, but why did every one of Seto's instincts scream at him that the he wasn't?

The teen arched an eyebrow as he noticed Seto staring. "I'm not going to bite. I'm Clark Kent. You're Ryuujin, right?"

Seto swallowed, once again shoving instinct down as it flared up again. He forced his mouth to form the usual smirk and slid into an unoccupied chair. "Yes. You're the person Sullivan wanted me to meet?"

Clark blinked at the use of Chloe's last name, but said nothing.

"Yes, this is the infamous Clark Kent. Writer for the Torch, quarterback on the football team, and farmer. Oh, and he's friends with Lex Luthor." Chloe elbowed Kent in the ribs for emphasis and Kent winced, though Seto could tell it was a few seconds too late. (1)

This time is was Seto who arched an eyebrow. "You're friends with Luthor?"

Kent shrugged. "It's not that big a deal. And we're kind of going through a rough patch."

_Why am I not surprised? _Despite the sense of unnaturalness around Kent, his flannel shirt and jeans screamed 'farmer-boy' and 'honest'. Underneath that, however, Seto could recognize that Kent was hiding something. The off-beat flinch was interesting. Oh yes, Kent was hiding something big. After all, it took a deceiver to know a deceiver.

Seto then recalled articles he had read about Luthor Lex. Luthor was the son of Luthor Lionel, and Lionel had committed some heinous crimes while he had been in power, such as the murder of his parents. Luthor Lex had worked hard to put his father behind bars, but Seto suspected it wasn't only because his father had been a criminal. Luthor was a ruthless and successful businessman, and Seto wouldn't put it past him if he had more than one reason to put his father away. There were many impressive rumors about how far Luthor went in his business dealings. _The apple never falls far from the tree._ Luthor Lex was a businessman first and an honest, upstanding citizen second. If Kent had a secret-and Seto was sure of this-a man like Luthor would stop at nothing to find the truth.

"So how do you like Smallville?" Kent asked, finishing his apple and throwing it away.

"It's dull," Seto lied. "And small." That was the truth.

Kent and Chloe laughed. "Smallville is small, hence the name. And less crowded than Japan." Kent said, leaning forward across the table a bit out of habit. It took all of Seto's willpower to not back away.

The continuous headache, combined with the weird sense he was getting from Kent, was getting to be too much for Seto. If he didn't leave right now, he was going to blast Kent with the Rod and to hell with the consequences. Seto changed his voice to the professional tone he used in business dealings and clung to it to remain sane. "True, Smallville is rather spacious. It was nice meeting you. I'm taking a shower." Seto rose and was about to walk back up the stairs when Chloe's voice stopped him.

"Why, it looks like you're all sweaty. Been working out?" she teased.

Seto turned around and eyed her, brushing sticky hair out of his eyes. "You could say that." He turned and walked up the stairs and into the bathroom, breathing a sigh of relief as he shut the bathroom door behind him. He massaged little circles on his temples as he started the shower. Yami owed him big for this mission and Seto vowed he would make the ex-Pharaoh pay up.

_>>>>_

"Okay class, today we are going to start the unit on Ancient Egypt."

Seto resisted the urge to groan, or just slam his head into his desk. _I'll never escape it._

"Get out your books and turn to page 121."

Seto turned to the correct page and skimmed it, almost immediately becoming bored. It was just an introduction to Egypt and its origins.

"Now, Egypt is the only country in history that had such a long and unbroken history-" the teacher began and Seto prepared himself for an hour of boredom. _After this I have Computer Programming. Oh joy. Well, at least I am going to be able to get some real work done in that class._

"Historians believe that the writing of Egyptian's neighbors, the Mesopotamians, inspired Egypt's famous hieroglyphics. The first known Pharaoh in the dynasty called the Old Kingdom was Pharaoh Menes-"

Seto resisted the urge to say 'Ankh Udja Seneb' and glanced down at his textbook again (2). Damn his past-life memories. Damn him being a High Priest. Damn this whole Egypt and Sennen Items bullshit his life was now centered on. _Damn it to hell and the Underworld so it can be devoured by Ammit…_(3)

"Whoa, there, Ryuujin, relax. It's just history," Chloe's voice whispered in his ear. She sat on his left and had been copying down notes in her spiral notebook.

Seto arched an eyebrow.

"You look a little tense, that's all," Chloe answered. "Do you really hate school that much?"

Seto's mouth twisted and he forced his hands to unclench.

"Egypt was divided into two lands called the Red Lands and the White Lands before Pharaoh Menes-"

_Ankh Udja Seneb_

"-United them in 3100 BC. These lands were represented in the pharaoh's crown. There was a white section and a red section." Mr. Thomas drew a rough sketch on the board and Seto stifled a snort at how the teacher was obviously not an artist. "Now, if you ignore the extremely bad drawing and look in your book, I'm sure that there is a nice picture of the crown there. The snake in the crown represents the pharaoh's reign. In ancient Egypt, snakes were symbolized as the pharaoh's protector, unlike the version we are more familiar with in which the snake represents evil."

Seto had never understood before why he felt somewhat divided when someone mentioned ancient Egypt. _Why did Yami, Yugi, and that Ishtar woman have to be right?_ He blinked as he received a sudden flash of information at the back of his mind. He knew Atemu had never worn the crown on the board, only the golden crown of a prince. A prince who had power over the Shadows. When Atemu would have reached the age where he would have been fully prepared to take on the responsibilities as Pharaoh, he would have had to wear it. He never did reach the proper age. _Anubis damn that pharaoh, never letting me have an honorable, fair Duel for the crown, forced me to take it…_(4)

"Now class, answer the questions in the Chapter 1.1 and 1.2 reviews." Thomas ordered.

Seto blinked. How long had he been lost in thought? Had he missed the entire lesson? He flipped the pages in the book to the reviews and glanced at the questions and had to hold back a snort. Seto knew the answers to the questions on the back of his hand, even without the very limited knowledge of his supposed past-life. He had made an extensive study of ancient Egypt once he was told that Duel Monster's origins lay there. Once he received some past-life memories, it had been very amusing to discover some key facts that historians had "discovered" about Egypt were wrong (5). Seto took out his notebook and started to answer the questions when Chloe stopped him.

"Are you writing in hieroglyphics to be funny?"

_What?_ Seto looked down at his notebook and groaned inwardly. Ever since he had received the Rod he noticed that he tended to slip into ancient Egyptian whenever stressed or angry (to Mokuba's amusement and the bewilderment to some of his employees and clients). Now it had happened in school as well, and in front of a suspicious American blonde obsessed with the paranormal. _Today is turning out _so_ well._

Seto erased his answers and tried to take his mind back to the present and began to write again, only to realize he was writing in kanji. Biting back a particularly vicious curse, he again erased his answers and started again, this time in English. He had always been better at speaking and understanding different languages than writing them. That, coupled with the fact it sometimes grew difficult to keep track of the different languages in his mind whenever he was in a foreign land, made for some frustrating moments. Because of Seto's business dealings all over the world, he had to learn many other languages besides English. Also, because of his past-life, he knew Babylonian, Latin, Greek, and ancient Hebrew.

Thankfully, the class soon ended without any other mishaps. Seto almost let out a quiet sigh of relief as he gathered his things together. _One class down, three to go._

_>>>>_

The bell rang, signaling the end of school and Seto stopped at his locker, putting away some of his books and taking out others. All in all, the rest of his day hadn't been bad. He had finished his homework in his free block, done some work in his Computer Programming class, and had been mildly interested in AP Trigonometry. Once you ran a multi-billion dollar company that specialized in computer graphics and designed inventions, any math was simple. Seto stiffened as a hand clamped down on his shoulder and turned. Before him stood a teen about an inch taller than him and fifty pounds broader, all of it muscle. The teen wore a scarlet letterman's jacket over a white t-shirt. Three other teens, though not as tall, stood behind him. All had stupid grins on their faces.

_Jock,_ Seto labeled the teen in front of him. _Possibly the captain of the football team._

"Heard you're the new kid. The exchange student from Japan. What's your name?"

"Ryuujin. Get your hand off me." (6)

The jock kept his hand right where it was, and Seto eyed it with distaste. "Ryuujin? What the hell does that mean? Some sort of Japanese chicken dish?" He laughed and his gang laughed with him.

Seto rolled his eyes at the poor insult. Hell, the make inu could have done better. He gripped the jock's wrist and squeezed it painfully as he lifted it off his shoulder. "I said, get your hand off my shoulder, and I meant it."

The jock whimpered in pain as Seto twisted the jock's arm behind his back.

"Now stop bothering me and I might not break your arm," Seto's voice was icy and calm.

"Ok, Ok, man I'll stop!" the jock cried, and Seto let him go. The jock stumbled forward a few steps and rubbed his wrist, glaring at Seto. Seto laughed, picked up his backpack, and shut his locker.

"Sayonara."

Chloe stared at Seto as he walked past her-she had seen the whole episode a few lockers away. Chloe snatched up her backpack and followed the dragon Duelist. "Jeez, Ryuujin, do you have anger management issues?"

Seto shrugged. "I warned him. He made the first move and I merely countered. All that is hurt is his pride."

"You don't know Jack Marley. When his pride is hurt, especially in front of his cronies, he doesn't take it too well."

"I know."

"He's gonna try and get you back."

"I'll be ready when he does."

"Ryuujin, Marley could eat you up and spit you out! He's got at least seventy pounds on you!"

Seto's smirk widened and Chloe shook her head. "I don't believe you. It's only the first day of school and you're already tangled up with one of the worst kids in the school. Amazing."

Her companion chuckled.

"Hey, 'bout those hieroglyphics in history, do you really know how to write them?"

"No, I just like the symbols. I thought that maybe I could confuse the teacher." It was a poor lie, one of his worst, even, but she might believe it.

Chloe raised an eyebrow. "You have one seriously screwed sense of humor."

_You have no idea, Sullivan. _"You must be an absolute terror at your school in Japan."

Seto chose not to answer.

"Chloe!" someone called from behind them. Seto and Chloe stopped walking and turned to see Kent Clark jogging to catch up to them. Seto stiffened. The Rod had practically growled when the teen had been near, would it do it again?

A soft warmth heated up the small of his back where the Rod was hidden and a barely audible rumble reached his ears. Yep, the item _was_ growling. The hairs on the back of Seto's neck rose as he was once again made aware that Kent was not human. Again, it took all of his martial arts training and self-discipline to fight or flight. _Damn the Rod. Damn my new "magic-heightened instincts", as Yami calls them. Why the hell is it doing this anyways?_

"Hey, Ryuujin." Kent smiled at Seto before turning to Chloe. "So, about that project we were assigned in English…"

"Ugh, yeah, Frankenstein. You wanna work on it at your house after school tomorrow? I'm kinda busy tonight."

"Yeah. At eight? Or seven? I bet mom wouldn't mind cooking dinner for another person."

"As if I would miss out on your mom's cooking! Ryuujin, you have not lived until you've tried Clark's mom's food. It's to die for."

"I'm sure," Seto muttered dryly.

Kent looked at his watch. "Oh! I gotta go and get ready for practice. I'll see you tomorrow, Chlo'."

"See you tomorrow, Clark, and don't you dare forget about the deadline for your article in the Torch about last week's game! If you do, no amount of Mrs. Kent's apple pie will ever make me forgive you!" Chloe shouted at Kent's retreating back.

"Sure about that?" Kent shouted back.

"Nope!" Chloe laughed.

Kent laughed as well and ran through the crowd of students, heading towards the locker room.

"Least he didn't leave me standing alone in the hallway again," Chloe muttered. Seto arched an eyebrow at her. "He's done incredible things in this town, and I'm not just talking about his touchdowns. He's everyone's personal superhero. God knows he's saved my sorry ass a number of times." At Seto's second raised eyebrow, Chloe shrugged. "You know my calling for the paranormal? It's gotten me into some seriously deep shit. Clark's always been there to bail me out, but he hasn't been around for much else. He even left me alone at the dance in our sophomore year." Her eyes were distant and Seto assumed she was remembering the dance.

_So Kent's not quite as honorable as I thought he was. Or maybe he is. Kent doesn't seem to be someone who would leave a friend like Chloe behind just to be cruel._ Seto turned around and headed towards the double doors that opened to the front of the school, leaving Chloe standing in the hallway.

"Hey, don't you leave me here like some kind of idiot, Ryuujin!" Chloe shouted, running to catch up with him. "Besides, I'm the one that drives." She dug her keys out of her purse and jingled them in front of Seto's nose, smirking at him. Seto held in an exasperated sigh.

_I forgot about that little detail. I can't drive legally here because I'm not a US citizen. Besides, I don't have my bike. _Besides his brother, company, and Dueling, one of the things Seto missed was his custom-designed motorcycle. He didn't usually drive it publicly; just on the track at the mansion, but it was one of his most prized possessions (and currently sitting locked in the garage). The flood of adrenaline, wind whipping through his hair, the roar of a battle cry when freedom was in his grasp at last, it was identical to the rush he got when summoning his Blue Eyes. The bike itself was black with dark indigo streaks. Even the chrome was darkened. Mokuba jokingly called it the Night Bike.

Soon they were sitting in Chloe's convertible red Volkswagen Beetle; Chloe at the wheel and Seto in the passenger seat.

"First I want to stop at the Talon and drop off Lana's homework." Chloe jerked her thumb towards the backseat where a folder lay on the upholstery. "She's sick today. Clark told me that he talked to Jason, her boyfriend, and she's got a really bad cold." (7)

Seto didn't answer.

"You know, it would be common courtesy to say that you hope she'll get better."

Silence.

"I assume from your lack of response that you don't care."

More silence.

"Do you care about anyone but yourself?"

Seto stared straight ahead.

"You are one selfish bastard, you know that?"

The corner of Seto's mouth twitched.

"You know you're a selfish bastard? God, you are the most insufferable, arrogant, selfish asshole I have ever met!"

He didn't even turn his head to look at her.

"Argh! I can't stand you!" Chloe drove up to the Talon and parked the car. She turned off the car and pocketed the keys. "I'm going in. I don't care whether you come in or not, in fact, I'd rather you don't come in so you don't piss off someone else!" She grabbed the folder from the backseat and got out of the car, slamming the door behind her. Chloe marched into the Talon with her head held high and her high heels clicking angrily.

_It's amazing how little it takes to set her off. Unlike the mutt, I don't even have to say anything._ Seto lifted his fingers and traced the air where Chloe had been sitting. The Rod pulsed against his back as he caught a scent of Shadow magic. _Every time she gets mad, it surfaces. _That made sense, really. With a magic as hard to control and use as Shadow magic, a person had to have strong emotion and will behind it. Seto dropped his hand and leaned back into his chair.

_So, my new tournament's going to have-wait, what the hell was that?_ Seto stiffened as a completely bald man in his early thirties dressed in black (complete with a black trench coat) exited the Talon, a coffee cup in one hand and yelling into his cell phone in the other. It wasn't the yelling that had shaken Seto out of mentally planning for his tournament; it was the fact that the man was practically drenched in Shadow magic. That was unusual, but what made even stranger was that Seto somehow knew that the man himself had no magic whatsoever. How Seto knew this, he didn't want to even think about. What took the cake about this man's aura being tainted with Shadow magic was that this man was no one else but Luthor Lex.

"What do you mean something went wrong? The procedure was delicate enough to begin with; we cannot afford to have any mistakes or problems!"

_Sullivan said you had a top secret project, Luthor. Is that the "procedure" you are talking about? What kind of danger have you been dabbling in that involves Shadow magic? Does it have anything to do with the rogue Duelist? That is, assuming that the Duelist is not acting on his own. Are you the person that ordered the rogue Duelist to attack this town, and if you are, why? How does this town or its inhabitants threaten you? Or could you be connected in some other way to the attack?_ Seto followed the man with his eyes as Luthor got into his silver Porsche and drove away.

He had to investigate Luthor; there were no ifs, buts, or ands about it. But how to go about it without revealing himself? Even with the new wardrobe and lack of silver briefcase, given a few minutes, Luthor would recognize him. Seto scowled.

Chloe exited the Talon a few minutes later, glared angrily at Seto and drove to the house. It was clear that she was expecting him to apologize. Seto ignored her and went immediately to his room and got out his cell phone. After checking in with his brother, Seto dialed Yami's number.

"Moshi moshi!"

"Put Yami on."

"Hello Kaiba-kun, how's the weather? Are you having a good time? Really? You're making new friends? That's great! How are your classes? Good? Great!"

"Yugi, put Yami on."

Yugi sighed. "You could attempt to converse once in a while, Kaiba-kun."

"Mouto. Put. Yami. On."

"Fine." A second later a deeper voice spoke over the telephone.

"You know Yugi's right, Kaiba."

"Save it, Yami. Luthor Lex is involved with this rogue Duelist business."

"Who is he?"

Seto rolled his eyes. "He's the CEO of LexCorp, which is headquartered in Smallville. The man who's house I'm living in is the Vice President of LexCorp."

"I see. Can you investigate?"

"That's just it. If I spend more than two minutes with Luthor, he will recognize me."

"We can't assume that, Kaiba. You have never met before."

"I knew his face."

"Kaiba, I'm pretty sure that not every CEO knows what every other CEO in the world's face."

_Gozaburo did._ "We can't assume that. We have to presume that he will recognize me."

"Then what are you going to do?"

"I'll think of something." _As soon as this damned headache goes away._

"How do you know that Luthor is mixed up in all this?"

"He's involved in a secret experiment and I overheard his conversation that something went wrong. It sounded serious. The people that were attacked by a Duel Monster were LexCorp employees working on the secret experiment."

"Interesting coincidence. Is that all?"

"Yes."

"Watch yourself, Kaiba. You are on the front lines."

"I know that, Yami."

"Keep me updated." Seto could hear the smile in Yami's voice as he said, "Don't work overtime for too long."

"Shut up, Yami." Seto hung up the cell phone and placed it on his bedside table. He got out his laptop and booted it and got to work. Unfortunately, as he started to work, his mind kept drifting.

There was this horrible sense of emptiness in Smallville. Something important, something vital was missing, and Seto didn't know what it was. Sighing in frustration, he put away his laptop in its case and his cell phone in his pocket and decided to see why the Talon was the main hangout for the citizens of Smallville. He had overheard four different groups of friends talking about meeting at the coffeehouse after school and it had piqued his curiosity. He would have to walk there because he knew that there was not a chance in hell that Chloe would drive him. It was only a twenty minute walk anyways.

Twenty-three minutes later Seto walked into the large coffeehouse. It was painted a yellow-cream and had a slight ancient Egypt theme because of the paintings of the symbols and hieroglyphics on the walls and columns. Small wooden circular tables for two and larger rectangular table for four were set up in the Talon, and there was a clear aisle to the register. The local radio station was playing on the speakers and the grinding sound of running blenders added to the atmosphere. The register itself was on a counter and to the side were various pastries and muffins that actually looked quite tasty were set up in straw baskets on a scarlet napkin. A teenager about Seto's age was running the cashier and various waitresses were scurrying around the restaurant delivering orders to customers. According to Chloe, the Talon used to be run by Lang Lana and was now under the management of Kent-san, Kent's mother.

Seto walked up to the register and ordered a small Americano with a shot of espresso and sat down at the smaller wooden tables to wait. He took out his laptop and began re-reviewing the designs for his new invention. The invention was going to be released at the start of the tournament. The tournament, of course, was going to promote the invention. Seto knew that introducing a new tournament was a superb way to promote new inventions; the Duel Disk wouldn't have done as well had not he organized Battle City to go along with it. His employees and Board of Directors had been astounded at the sales and Seto hoped that this new invention would do just as well, or even better than the Duel Disk. Battle City had not only promoted the Duel Disk and exposed the Ghouls, but it had brought many new Duelists into Duel Monsters from around the world. Many of those Duelists did not have Duel Disks, so the new invention would be purchased by them and other Duelists who wanted to stay on top of the game. Duelists like Motou Yugi, Jonouchi Katsuya, and Bakura Ryou.

"Here is your Americano, sir." The waitress said, setting the coffee down beside Seto. Seto picked it up and took a sip, his eyes not leaving his laptop's screen. The waitress huffed and walked away, her heels clicking crisply on the tiled floor. Seto arched an eyebrow.

_What is it about this town that everyone expects to be treated like they were your closest friends?_ Seto took another sip. He was friends with no one. The deck in his pocket stirred as an unmistakable snort of three dragons reached Seto's ears. Even though no words were spoken, Seto knew exactly who they were talking about.

_Me and Yugi and Yami…that's different. We're not friends, we're not enemies, we're more like…friendly rivals. Despite the root word in "friendly", that does not mean we are friends._

There was another snort of disbelief and Seto rolled his eyes.

_I have three Blue Eyes White Dragon, who live in a different dimension, nonetheless, contradicting me about my relationship with a Duelist and the spirit of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh inhabiting the Duelist's body. This should be bothering me more than it is._

Yet it didn't. Did that mean that he was finally becoming used to the idea of magic? It didn't matter that he'd held the Sennen Rod for over a year, he didn't want to think that he was able to practice magic. It had taken a while, but it had been easier to grow accustomed to the fact that he was the reincarnation of a high priest and that he received bits and pieces of past memories and knowledge than other things. Things like realizing that he could wield the Sennen Rod to his will, know when a soul was splintered or absent from a body, and so many other unnatural capabilities that came with magic.

Seto straightened as he realized what exactly had been plaguing him about this town. There was little or no magic existing in Smallville.

_That's impossible! Every being has at least a tiny shred of magic, just like every being has a soul. It's whether you have the ability to harness that magic that separates the sorcerers from the common people._

But when Seto brushed his senses gently against the other people in the Talon, he found the barest whisper of magic when there should have been at least a bit more, considering that the coffeehouse was filled. Also adding in the fact of how strange Smallville was, Seto expected there to be at least one other person in the shop who possessed some untapped magical potential or the ability to weave the shadows like Chloe.

_Smallville has _no_ magic whatsoever._ The realization made a cold shiver run down Seto's spine and settle in his stomach. _Damn it, you shouldn't even be concerned about whether this town has magical properties or not! You should be thinking about the tournament and-_ Seto's internal rant was interrupted by three growls and the Rod warming against his back. Seto sighed, shut down his laptop, packed up his things, left the remainder of his coffee on the table, and got out of the Talon. He knew what he had to do.

Seto walked through Smallville, searching for any trace of magic. He found some near some clothing stores and the movie theater, but there was a complete absence of magic at Smallville High. Seto hissed in pain as he stood in front of the school and rubbed his forehead. His headache was back in full force. He quickly sat down under a tree and waited for the pain to pass. How long did Yami say it would take for him to adjust to a new level of magic? A couple of days? It would probably take some more time to adjust to this nothingness that was wearing his nerves down to dust.

_I hate this town._

His hand inched towards the cell phone in his pocket but he made it stop in time.

_No! I will not call Motou! If I tell him this, he will come and he needs to keep an eye on Domino. If I call him and he doesn't come, he will probably send someone else. _I _can do this. I _will_ do this._

Dragons rumbled in his pocket and Seto scowled (8).

_You don't believe me?_

An odd sense of peace entered his mind and the headache dissipated.

_Does alone count if I've got dragons in the back of my mind? _Seto stood and dusted the grass off his jeans. He slung his laptop over his shoulder and strode back to the sidewalk and headed back to the Sullivan house.

As he passed the park half a mile from Smallville High, a feeling of something alien hit him like a punch in the gut. Seto stumbled back a few steps and faintly heard roaring from his Blue Eyes White Dragons. He quickly recovered and grasped the Rod from underneath his jacket and drew it out, absently muttering a half-remembered curse. A beam of golden light shot out form the Rod and blasted the concrete in front of him, targeting an odd, half-buried green stone. The stone sizzled and melted down to a gooey emerald liquid, and then evaporated. Seto breathed a sigh of relief he didn't realize he had been holding and knelt down. He prodded the smoking and blackened concrete pieces with the Rod, but found no residue of the stone. Whatever the stone had been, it had been a threat, and it was now gone. Seto eyes searched the grass for anymore, but found none. He put the incident to the back of his mind for further analysis when he had time and concealed the Rod underneath his jacket again as he continued walking to the Sullivan residence.

"Where were you?" Sullivan asked as Seto walked through the door. It was seven o' clock and Sullivan was still in his work clothes. He had clearly just come home.

"Hm?"

"I asked where you have you been? According to Chloe you came home at four o' clock and then at five you were gone. She had no idea where you were and I had no idea where you were. Anything could have happened to you and it would have been my responsibility. Next time when you go out, tell someone or leave a note!"

Seto smirked. "I doubt anything could have happened to me that I couldn't have taken care of, Sullivan-san."

"Just because you are young does not mean you are invincible, young man. You are flesh and blood just like me."

Seto ignored him and started to walk for the stairs when Sullivan's hand upon his arm stopped him. Seto looked at the hand and held back the instinct to toss the older man on his back.

"As long as you live here you will respect me and respect my household's rules," Sullivan glared.

Seto narrowed his eyes. "Take your hand off my arm and I might consider it."

Sullivan's eyes flashed but he let go of Seto's arm.

"Thank you," Seto said coolly.

"You have a serious attitude problem, young man." Seto's mouth twitched and he walked up to his bedroom and shut the door firmly behind him. Seto took out his laptop and plopped down in the beanbag chair and resumed working. He didn't know which was worse, having to fight a rogue Duelist in a town totally absent of magic or living with a family of strangers and abide by their rules.

_I'd rather fight a Chimera bare-handed than follow anyone else's rules._

Yami was dead once Seto got his hands on the King of Games. It was Yami's fault that Seto was in Smallville in the first place. He was also pretty sure that it was Yami and Yugi's fault that he had to live with Gabe and Chloe Sullivan, he just hadn't found the connection yet.

_>>>>_

_::Cold desert wind seeped through his linen tunic and leggings, contrasting with the heat that still radiated off the sand, even though night had already fallen. He stood on a cliff a safe distance from his village. It was in flames. _

_His eyes widened and he raced down the cliff to his village._

"_Mewet!" _(9) _He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw his home was untouched, but there was a crowd of five men between him and his home. He tried to run through them, but they seized his arms._

"_Here's the brat that let our prize escape! Where is she?" One of the men asked._

"_Let me go!" _

"_Is this your home, brat?" Another one of the men sneered at him and Seth gasped in horror as the men threw their torches at the house, setting it ablaze._

"_Mewet! Mewet!" Seth tried to break free, but the men held him firmly. "No!"_

_One of the men seized a handful of his hair and dragged his head back while another socked him in the stomach. Seth tried to fight back, but he couldn't break free. The blows drove every breath from his body, making his knees tremble. Then, out of nowhere, a beautiful white dragon flew through the sky, screaming a battle cry._

"_What is that?" a man cried._

"_It's a monster!" another man shouted and Seth was thrown to the sand as the arsonists fled._

_The dragon flew after them, toying with its prey as the men shrieked and ran faster. They hadn't gone a hundred yards when the dragon had enough with its game. It opened its mouth and blue flame erupted out of it, destroying the men and the breaking off pieces of earth in the process. Seth shielded his eyes from the flying sand but opened them when he heard the scream again. His heartbeat quickened and his blood sang with the cry. He stood and gazed open-mouthed at the blue eyed, white dragon flying above his village. It was one of the most beautiful creatures he had ever seen.::_

Seto sat up with a loud gasp. Sweat trickled down his forehead and his limbs shook. It had been such a vivid dream.

_My name is Seto, not Seth. I am not as brown as the desert. I am seventeen, not fourteen. I'm in Smallville. I'm in Sullivan Chloe's house lying on cotton sheets. I'm no_t_ in Egypt three-thousand years ago standing on the sand. _

Seto looked down at his trembling hands and willed them to still. One did and he used that to wipe the sweat from his forehead and face. He then used that same hand to pick up the Sennen Rod hidden in a drawer in his bedside table.

"Stop doing this to me. Ancient spells and languages are enough. I don't need dreams on top of that." He spoke to the Rod as if it would answer him. It merely glinted from the moonbeams that shone through the window. Seto sighed in disgust and put the Rod back, covering his face with his hands. "I'm dreaming about my past life and talking to an inanimate object. What the hell is wrong with me?"

There was a knock on the door and Seto jumped.

The door cracked open and Chloe asked, "Ryuujin? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. What are you doing up at this hour?" Seto glanced at the clock on the bedside table, which read 2:23.

"I got up to get a glass of water. You look kinda shaken. Did you have a nightmare?"

"No."

"You sure? You look a little pale. You wanna talk about it? I'm kinda a veteran of nightmares myself."

"Goodnight, Sullivan."

Chloe pursed her lips. "Jeez, I was only trying to help."

"I said goodnight."

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Goodnight, Ryuujin." She didn't slam the door loud enough to wake her father, but it was still loud enough to make Seto tense. He forced himself to relax and fell back onto the mattress, pulling his sheets up to cover him. He was glad he had worn his long-sleeved shirt and sweatpants tonight. He didn't even want to think what would have happened if Chloe had barged in and he had been dressed in his normal t-shirt. Seto snuggled deeper into his covers and fell back asleep.

Meanwhile Chloe lay back on her bed and frowned. "What did Ryuujin mean when he said that he was dreaming about his past-life?" Chloe shook her head. "Well, it's none of my business, and it's almost too strange for Smallville. Plus if I start asking him questions he'd probably chew me up and spit me out." She flopped back on her bed and tried to will herself to sleep, but her head still whirled with questions about the strange, cold exchange student living in the room next to hers.

**

* * *

Footnotes: **

(1) I'm not sure if Clark still writes for the Torch, but in here he does.

(2) "Ankh Udjab Seneb" is an ancient Egyptian term that basically means long life and good health. It's traditionally said after someone speaks a pharaoh's name. Seto being a high priest an all would automatically say it. I'm not sure if it's used after the pharaoh has already died, but I had to put this in to annoy Seto.

(3) Ammit is the goddess in the underworld who devoured evil people's hearts when they had died.

(4) I read Lizeth's fic "History of Magic-Cloak and Dagger" and I loved how Seth in it was forced to take the crown when Atemu died.

(5) Future plot point in future fic.

(6) Because of Gozaburo's abuse, I (like Nenya85) have always seen Seto as somewhat touch-phobic. The only person he even touches is Mokuba, and that's only when Mokuba has been in danger and they just got out of it and Seto needs to hug him.

(7) I don't think Chloe knows about Jason in the series, but here she does.

(8) I couldn't stop laughing when I thought of a funny Yu-Gi-Oh blooper-type line. "Is that a dragon in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?"

(9) "Mewet" in ancient Egyptian means "mother". In the anime he says "Kaa-san" which means "mother" in Japanese, but I think he should remember it in ancient Egyptian, don't you?**

* * *

**

**Review Reply:**

**amy johnson:** Um, I guess you haven't been watching Smallville very recently because Pete is living in anotehr state now. I didn't liek him much anyways so he will not be appearing in this story. As for detective mode, well, you saw Chloe's thoughts at the end of the chapter, but don't think that's going to keep her away! Seto will be very good at dodging her questions though, but how will Clark stand up to Seto's? Thank you for the compliment on this not being a bunch of nonsense. I really appreciate it.

* * *

**A/N:** Sorry about the lateness of this chapter. I had finals last week so this was put on hold until I could transfer it (manually) from my laptop to my main comp. It won't take so long for the next chapter, I promise! Actually, it might because I'm a little stumped, so be prepared for a slow update. Props to my wonderful beta for editing!

I got one review for the last chapter, not counting my beta. Um, maybe more next time? Please? I live on reviews. Does no one like this story? Please tell me what you think!


	4. Of Dishwashing and LockerBanging

**A/N: As always:**

italics is thought  
_  
:blah:_ is flashback  
_  
>>>>_ is scene transition

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 4: Of Dishwashing and Locker-Banging**

Since the beginning of time, every person has had two mental lists. One is a list of people, places, or things they love; another is a list of things they hate. Seto grimaced as he thought of the task ahead of him. This item had made it to number four on his hate list at the young age of nine and stayed there. Seto moved to roll back his sleeves as he prepared to do the task-but stopped when he remembered Chloe was sitting nearby. He pursed his lips, sighed, and picked up a dish that was half full of food. They had eaten roast chicken for dinner and it had been extremely filling.

Despite his "phenomenal business skills" (to quote from an article in _The New York Times_), there were some things even the CEO of Kaiba Corporation couldn't get out of. Like washing dishes. Seto turned on the silver kitchen sink faucet and squirted dish soap on a bright turquoise sponge, ran water over the plate, and washed the food down the garbage disposal. He washed the dish, placed it in the dishwasher, and picked up another.

"You know, I hate doing the dishes as much as the next teenager, but you act like it's the bane of your existence," Chloe said as she edited an article for the Torch.

_Actually, that honor belongs to Yami no Yugi_

"I mean, it could be worse. You could have Clark's chores." Chloe snickered at the thought.

_Kent's chores. They probably include shoveling up after the cows. She does have some semblance of a point._

"Usually to make dish washing more bearable, I listen to my CD player."

Seto paused. Again, Sullivan had a point. He put down the sponge, rinsed his soapy hands, turned off the faucet, dried his hands on a rag, and went upstairs. He grabbed his MP3 player, which had been lying on his bedside table, and walked back downstairs. As he entered the kitchen Chloe gaped at him, red pen forgotten in her hand.

"Wow. So you do listen to me."

Seto ignored her and switched on one of his preferred songs. He put the headphones on and resumed doing the dishes. He hadn't been at it long when hands suddenly snatched the headphones off his ears and grabbed the MP3 player he had stuck in his pocket.

"What kind of music do you like anyways?" Chloe asked as she dashed the opposite side of the kitchen. She put on the headphones before Seto could stop her. "Whoa, you like Hoobastank? I thought you'd like Japanese music." (1)

Seto glared at her and crossed the kitchen in several long strides. He grabbed his music player back from her. "I don't like Japanese pop music."

"Too cheery for you?" Chloe smirked at him.

"I don't necessarily like American rock; it's just the only music that I can stand," Seto answered, replacing the headphones. He again returned to washing the dishes.

"Hey, Ryuujin? Why don't you roll back your sleeves? Then you won't get them wet." Chloe pointed to his sleeve cuffs, which were dripping despite his best efforts to keep them dry.

"I do what I want, how I want," Seto answered dismissively.

"Ass," Chloe muttered under her breath, but loudly enough for Seto to catch.

"'Base slave, thy words are blunt, and so art thou,'" Seto replied. (2) He smirked as he heard Chloe sputter in indignation before she pushed back her chair and stomped out of the kitchen.

_>>>>_

Seto strode into the Talon the next day after school to purchase coffee and get some work done. Sullivan was still angry at Seto for coming home late and Chloe was still upset with him for the insult the other day. The tension in the house had become a distraction for Seto, no matter how hard he tried to block it out. The only solution had been for Seto leave a note on the counter for Sullivan that he was going out and walk over to the Talon.

Seto walked up to the register, ordered a small Americano, and chose a small table in the corner of the coffeehouse (one where he could sit with his back against the wall) and set up his work station. He soon received his coffee and began to work as the waitress scurried off to help other customers. Before even just five minutes had passed, he noticed a girl about his age standing in front of him tapping her foot impatiently. He raised his eyes from his laptop to get a better look at her. She had a soft, smooth face and long black hair and brown eyes. She wore a pair of light-colored blue jeans with a pink tank top.

"What?" Seto asked.

"So you're Ryuujin. Chloe's told me about you," the girl said.

"Since you know who I am, you could tell me who you are," Seto said as he sipped his Americano.

"Lana Lang."

_So this is the Lang girl that was sick a few days ago. And she's mad at me. She's probably a good friend of Chloe's._ "What do you want?"

Lang's eyes narrowed and she crossed her arms. "What I want is for you not to be such a complete bastard to Chloe and her dad."

"I can't change who I am." Seto resumed his typing.

"I bet you can."

Seto arched an eyebrow, but didn't look up or stop typing. "What makes you say that, Lang?"

Lang stepped closer to Seto and leaned down until her eyes were level with his. "They are letting you stay in their home and are taking care of you. You should act a little nicer. It's called common courtesy."

Seto rolled his eyes, his fingers still flying over the keyboard. "Common courtesy wasn't part of my upbringing."

"You're Japanese."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're a polite culture."

"I must have missed the memo."

"I doubt your parents let you talk back to them."

"They're dead."

There was an awkward moment of silence before Lang asked, "What are you working on? Homework?"

"Yes." Mokuba always called his work "homework."

"What is it?" Lang started to walk over and Seto narrowed his eyes.

"It's none of your business."

Lang crossed her arms. "Now why is that?"

"Because it's none of your business."

"Ryuujin, what are you doing?" Lang stepped closer.

"I said, it's. None. Of. Your. Business." The Rod pulsed against his back and Lang halted in mid-step.

"You're right; it is not of my business."

Seto looked up from his laptop screen. Lang's eyes were blank and her movement mechanic as she backed away from Seto and walked away. Seto blinked. _Since when did I step into Star Wars?_ He reached behind himself to grasp the Rod and stiffened when, instead of its pulsing warmth, he found it to be icy cold. It was so cold it was making him shiver a bit. _What the hell?_ Seto removed his reading glasses, shut his laptop, put it in its case, and walked out of the Talon. He didn't stop walking until he got to the park, which was seemingly empty. After taking a quick look around to make sure there weren't any curious passersby, he took out the Rod and gazed at it. The cold had faded somewhat, but it was still icy enough to be noticeable. (3)

Seto thought back to Battle City where Yami had claimed that Ishtar Malik used the Rod to control people's minds. He had dismissed it as occult nonsense then, but now…

Seto shook his head to get rid of his treacherous thoughts and stared at the Rod. It was a piece of gold, nothing more. It did not have the power to control minds. Maybe it could do other interesting things, but it did not control minds.

His mind flashed back to Lang's blank eyes and seemingly mechanical steps away from him.

_Damnit, I don't know what to think anymore. I just want my life back to the way it was._ Maybe he should just destroy the damned thing. _I'll fry it in the microwave or…_

Dragons chorused in his head and Seto froze.

If his life was back to the way it was, he wouldn't have his dragons. Would he give them up as well?

_No. Never._

Seto looked down at the Rod again and put it back underneath his jacket.

_I know I'm going to regret this._

_>>>>_

Days passed, and Seto managed to get somewhat accustomed to living in the Sullivan household. He would get up at six o' clock sharp, shower, dress, and go downstairs to make coffee. Seto timed this routine perfectly so he would have as little contact with the Sullivans as possible. After he had coffee and had fully awoken, he would make a small breakfast. Unlike what many people in Domino thought, Seto did not have very many servants. He had just employed a couple of maids to keep the mansion clean and others to do the dishes. Despite rumors he had heard, Seto did know how to cook and prepared every meal consumed by him and Mokuba. He soon found out that while he lived in the Sullivan household, this had an unforeseen consequence.

The third day after he had put his routine into action, he had received a surprise. Chloe had stumbled down the stairs in a daze earlier than Seto had anticipated. She yawned and poured some of the coffee Seto had made into a mug and took a large gulp. Blinking as the caffeine kicked in, she rubbed sleep out of her eyes and sniffed the air. It took her a few seconds to spot the source of the delicious aroma, but once she did she was at Seto's side (who was frying eggs) faster than he could hack into Industrial Illusions.

"Cooking for three? That's sweet of you." Chloe winked.

Seto blinked and looked down at the four eggs in the pan. Mokuba; he had made those two extra eggs for Mokuba. _She thinks I made this for her and her father. Great. I do not need this now. I don't need this _ever_. Not with anyone but Mokuba… _

Peace once again wrapped itself around his soul like it had in front of the school and his dragons rumbled softly.

_I…I guess it's not so bad they think I cooked this for them. _

Warmth spread through him and he knew his dragons approved.

Seto had also made sure that he was always finished with his routine ten minutes before Chloe was done with hers. He used those extra ten minutes to sit on the porch and read the books he had never had much time to truly enjoy. Chloe had made it her mission to figure out what exactly Seto liked and disliked and found his choice of reading intriguing.

"Nietzsche? Somehow, I find that fitting."

Seto placed a bookmark on the page and snapped the book closed. Little to Chloe's knowledge, the book he was reading was not Nietzsche. He had simply replaced the real book's cover with Nietzsche's cover (4). Seto stood from the swing and placed his book inside his backpack, slinging it over his shoulder. "Let's go."

"I'm still mad at you for that insult, and the other ones," Chloe told him as they walked to her car and climbed in, heading towards Smallville High.

"I'm touched that you find me important enough to keep a grudge for that long."

Chloe rolled her eyes. "I can't help that you insult me twenty times a day."

"I thought that you would be used to it by now."

"No one likes to be degraded."

"If you are expecting an apology, you won't get one."

"That's what you think."

Seto's mouth twitched. "Oh?"

"Someday, somewhere, _somehow_, you will apologize to me." Chloe glared at him.

Seto smirked. "When that happens, the sun will shine blue in a neon green sky."

As they reached the school and got out of the car, Chloe said to Seto, "And one day I will get you to smile for real."

"And when _that_ happens, the universe shall cease to exist."

Chloe slammed her car door shut. "Tell me about it."

_>>>>_

Seto twisted the black knob on his faded yellow locker door and lifted the small metal bar beneath it to unlock his locker. It refused to budge. Frowning slightly, Seto redid the combination and tried it again. Still, the locker did not unlock. Seto tried a third time with the same result. His frown deepened and he peered through the crack in the door. It was as he had suspected: someone had jammed his locker.

Seto exhaled through his nose. His books were in there. It was the end of the school day, and he wanted to finish the rest of his homework as quickly as he could so he could get to his other duties. He still had to search for the rogue Duelist, on top of his normal pile of work from being the CEO of Kaiba Corporation.

He eyed the locker, trying to devise a plan to get it open with minimal damage to the books inside. As tempting as it was, he couldn't blast it with his Sennen Rod. Not only would it attract unwanted attention and blow his cover, it would also harm the contents inside. No, he had to jimmy it open, or go to the office and get someone to help him. Seto decided the latter option would be his last resort.

"Having trouble, Ryuujin?" Marley John's very smug voice came from behind him.

"Why do I have the sneaking suspicion that you were behind this? Bullies always resort to petty actions when they want to take their revenge on others."

"Worked, didn't it? You can't get to your books and I am amused because of it."

Seto rolled his eyes and smiled to himself. He was very lucky his locker was on the end of the row, or else getting it open would have been more difficult. He walked to the left side of the locker and slammed his arm into the side as hard as he could. The bang echoed throughout the room and a number of students nearby stopped what they were doing and watched. Seto ignored the pain that ran through his arm like wildfire and smiled. He had heard a click underneath the bang. He walked around Marley and went to his locker and did the combination a fourth time. This time the now slightly dented locker swung open. Seto gathered his books, hit the inside of the locker to straighten out the dent, put the books in his backpack, and swung the locker door closed.

"Was that as amusing to you as it was to me, Marley? You really are as stupid as I thought."

Someone whistled. Marley looked positively purple with rage. Seto snorted with amusement and walked outside to where Chloe was waiting. He had just finished walking down the stairs that were in the entrance of the school where he heard pounding footsteps and a growl of rage. Seto turned around and blocked the punch that was headed towards his head and hit Marley in the jaw. Marley hit the concrete stairs hard. Seto narrowed his eyes at the jock and turned around and walked to where Chloe was waiting on the sidewalk in front of the school, her eyes wide in shock and gaping.

Marley coughed and Seto paused and turned. The bully's jaw was bleeding, but it did little to repress the pure rage in Marley's eyes. "I'll get you back, Ryuujin! No matter what it takes!"

"Huh. I'd like to see him try." Seto smirked to himself. Compared to his former Board of Directors, this guy was nothing.

_:"You are to be the sacrifice, Kaiba-sama," The Witty Phantom smiled._

_"No! Let me play the game!" Seto shouted, struggling against his restraints.:_

He had underestimated his Board of Directors that time. And, despite his best efforts, they had surprised him. He had played Duel Monsters Quest so they wouldn't take their revenge on him. _And we see how well that turned out_, Seto snorted to himself. And Noa's world, what a disaster that had been. Maybe he was underestimating the jock. After all, a little paranoia never hurt anyone.

Chloe looked a little shaken. "You act as if that didn't unsettle you one bit. Even though Marley is a jock, he is very intelligent and has gotten into a mother-load of trouble to get people back. One time he was almost expelled for locking someone in the boiler room. If Mandy hadn't shouted long enough for the janitor to hear her, she would have been seriously hurt. I'd watch your back if I were you. There've been rumors that Marley himself isn't all there."

"I can handle myself," Seto responded. _I have a bad feeling about this._

"Whatever. If you get yourself locked in the boiler room, I'm not gonna run for the janitor to get you out."

Seto stared at her. "Do you really think I'm stupid enough to get myself locked in a boiler room?"

Chloe frowned. "Good point." As Chloe started to walk to her car, Seto headed in the opposite direction. "Hey, where do you think you're going? I'm the one who drives you, remember?"

"I'm doing my work at the park today. I'll be back at your house in a couple of hours."

Chloe threw up her hands. "Fine. If you want to be a maverick, that's just great with me!"

Seto blinked. What had he said now? It had been amusing to see how little effort it took to make the Sullivan girl angry, but now it was becoming bothersome. He let out the smallest of sighs and continued on his way to the park.

_>>>>_

"Whoa! What the hell is that?"

"I dunno, Charles. Looks kinda like a large brown furball with green monster feet."

"It looks real stupid, doesn't it?"

Seto raised an eyebrow behind the AP Chemistry textbook he was reading and glanced over to the other three occupants of the park. They were gathered around something that Seto couldn't see, but he could have sworn he heard "Owooo," coming from that general direction. The "Owooo" combined with "large brown furball with green monster feet" and the random appearance of Duel Monsters had Seto's suspicions piqued. He sighed, put his textbook in his backpack, stood up from where he had been sitting on the grass under a tree, and slung his backpack over one shoulder. Seto then approached the three sophomores.

"Yo, it's the Japanese dude!" The teen named Charles said, tapping his buddy on the shoulder.

"Hey, man. What's your name again? It's kinda hard for me to remember foreign names. My name's Max."

Seto raised an eyebrow. "Probably short for Maxwell, right?"

Max frowned. "Yeah…"

Seto smirked. "Well, you should probably have some trouble remembering your own name. It's Celtic."

Charles and the third teen sniggered and Max turned pink.

"Not to mention you should also have trouble pronouncing your friend Charles's name. It's Germanic."

"Jerk," Max muttered.

"What's that poor defenseless creature you're staring at?" Seto's voice was disdainful.

"I dunno, Japanese man. Looks pretty weird," Charles said.

"Don't call me Japanese man. It's Ryuujin-sama to you." Seto's eyes narrowed.

"Whoa, man, no need to get uptight! We aren't bullies like that Marley dude. We're cool, right guys?" the unnamed teen said to the others, who nodded.

Seto moved his way into the circle and stared at the creature. The poor thing was looking for an escape, its eyes wide and frightened.

"A Kuriboh." _Attack 300. Defense_ _200. Category: Dark fiend. The weakest Monster in Duel Monsters. Special effects: __you can discard it from your hand and make it contact with the enemy, which causes it to explode. When combined with a Multiply magic card, it is a formidable enemy. Its special effect cannot be countered. If an enemy is about to finish you off, Kuriboh can stall and give you enough time to draw a useful card. _Mokuba once said that it could threaten enemy by sheer cuteness alone by causing them to melt when it cooed. Seto nearly snorted at the memory but kept himself composed.

"A what, Ryuujin-sama?" the unnamed teen asked.

"It's a Kuriboh." Seto repeated.

"Wassat? Some kind of native Japanese furball thingy?" Charles said.

Seto rolled his eyes. "No, bakemono, it's a Duel Monster." (5)

"You mean like those other monsters that have been attacking the town? Shit man, let's get it!" Max and the others started to move in but Seto stopped them.

"Don't you know anything about Duel Monsters? The Kuriboh may look like nothing, but if you hit it, it'll explode."

"Right, man." Max started to move again when Seto stepped in front of them.

"I'm serious."

The three teens stared at the CEO and Charles held up his hands.

"Fine, dude, whatever."

This seemed to be a signal to the other teens to back off and they walked away, muttering under their breaths about stupid Japanese people.

Seto looked down at the Kuriboh. "When the hell did I get so righteous?"

"Owooo?"

"Right, when I tossed Devil's Sanctuary to Yugi before his Duel with Ishtar Malik."

"Owooo!" The little creature smiled and bounced up and down.

"Come on. I can't leave you alone out here for other people to harass. I guess you're coming home with me." Seto sighed and put a hand to his forehead. "What the hell has gotten into me?"

"Owooo!" The Kuriboh frowned at him.

"Oh shut up." Seto headed to his temporary home, with the Kuriboh trailing behind him.

Sullivan was sitting at the kitchen table and Chloe was rummaging in the cupboards when Seto walked in.

"Ryuujin, I thought you said you were going to be home in a couple of-" Sullivan stopped when he saw the Kuriboh. "What the hell is that?"

Chloe turned at her father's exclamation and gaped at the Duel Monster. "That's a-"

"This is Kuriboh. It is harmless unless you hit it. Then it'll explode."

Chloe blinked. "Okay," she said slowly. "Is this like a new pet or something?"

"Until I can find a way to get rid of it, yes."

"What do you mean 'get rid of it'? There is no way to get rid of those things!" Sullivan eyed the Kuriboh nervously.

It cooed and bounced up to him, who shrank back as far as his chair would allow. The Kuriboh was unaffected by the man's obvious wariness and nuzzled him, purring loudly.

"I think it likes you," Seto said, amused.

"Please, just take it up to your room!" Sullivan gasped, standing up and backing away from the furry Duel Monster.

Seto smirked. "Fine." He gathered up the Kuriboh gently and walked up the stairs to his room. He took off his backpack, opened up his laptop, clicked on his personal files, and started working.

Or, at least he attempted to.

The Kuriboh, who had been snuggled up against his side on his bed, gazed at the laptop with fascination and climbed on top of it, attracted by the warmth. Seto froze, as the Kuriboh lay down on the keyboard and closed its eyes. Seconds later its breathing deepened and became more rhythmic, and Seto assumed it had fallen asleep. He blinked at the furry monster, sighed, and picked it up off the keyboard and put it back on the bed. It stirred and lethargically climbed into Seto's lap, purring contently.

Seto stared at the creature in his lap, shrugged, and went back to work. He'd been at it for a few hours when his cell phone rang.

"Kaiba."

"Hey, nisama! What's Smallville like?"

"How the name sounds, with a twist. It seems this town has had a few strange occurrences."

"Besides the Duel Monsters attacking?"

"Yes, besides that." After Chloe had mentioned the meteor shower, Seto had done a little research and had done quite a bit of reading between the lines of several newspaper articles, as well as asking Chloe for some personal accounts. The girl hadn't been joking when she had said that she had gotten herself into trouble for her investigating. Kent was quite the small-town hero, and not just because he was the star quarterback. "Smallville has meteor rocks that are spread all around the town that mutate people if they even touch them. Some people have even digested them or used them in operations."

"Ew, gross!"

"The problem is that whatever they want to happen, does, but with…interesting side effects. On one occasion a girl ate some people, because she made a shake out of some rocks to make herself thinner, but was losing too much body fat."

"So she starved herself so badly that she ate people to live? Ugh!"

"Basically. And there was one occasion where a woman could see the future, and another that could control men by excreting pheromones."

"That's even weirder than the Sennen Items stuff!"

Seto laughed. "I'm not so sure. How's everything on your side of the world?"

"Fine. There was a little fight between Yami and a bully, but everything turned out okay."

"As in the bully got mind crushed?"

"No, actually. He was just struck with hysterical blindness for a day. Now he won't go within ten feet of Yugi, so all's well that end's well."

"I see." Seto paused, and then said, "I now have a Kuriboh as a pet."

"What?"

Seto put the phone next to the Kuriboh, who was now awake. It gazed curiously at the phone and cooed into the mouthpiece. Seto put the phone back to his ear. "You see?"

"What are you going to do with it?"

"I'll find some way to send it back to the Shadow Realm. If not, then I'll take it back to Japan with me so Yugi can."

"Oh. Did you find it?"

"Somewhat. It was being harassed by some sophomores."

"Was it sent by the rogue Duelist?"

"I'm pretty sure it was."

If Mokuba was surprised by his brother's rare moment of ambiguity, he didn't show it. "How are you going to take care of it?"

Seto looked down at his furry guest. "I don't think it eats or needs to be housebroken. It is a Duel Monster, not a dog or cat."

"Does it like you?"

Seto blinked. "Kuribohs like everyone."

"How do you know?"

"Have you ever seen it mad?"

"No, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't get mad. I bet you that it will get mad when it's pushed."

"Whatever, Mokuba. I'll talk to you later. Remember-"

"-To call you if something happens. I _know_, nisama. Bye!"

"Bye." Seto hung up and stared at the Kuriboh as it snuggled into his chest. "What is going on in that fuzzy little brain of yours? Something as innocent as you should have the sense to stay away from someone like me."

For an answer, it merely cooed and snuggled closer. Slowly, as if against his will, Seto reached down and pet the soft fur.

"I'm a dragon Duelist. You belong in Yugi's deck. I'm too dangerous for something like you. Why do you stay?"

"Owooo."

"Sometimes, I just can't stand you." But Seto made no move to push the Kuriboh away. Instead, the CEO wrapped his arms around it and held it close.

**

* * *

Footnotes: **

(1) For those of you who are curious, the song Seto was listening to was "Just One" by Hoobastank. I heard the song one day and it matched Seto's feelings in this fic exactly, so I had to include it.

(2) This insult is from Henry VI Part 2.

(3) In the Ancient Egypt arc, you never see the Sennen Rod used for mind control, so that got me thinking that maybe it wasn't really meant to be used for mind control, it just was an add-on to Malik's desire to control everyone. That's why the Rod gets cold because it is not they way it naturally works.

(4) Cookies to anyone who can figure what the real book was.

(5) "Bakemono" is Japanese for "idiot".

**

* * *

Author's Notes: **

Sorry this came out so late, but I was really stuck on what could happen next. I had the dishes, I had the Kuriboh, but I didn't have anything in between and then my teachers started to load all sorts of projects on me and I didn't have anytime to concentrate on this story. Also, my beta was also going through a very stressful week and couldn't edit. Gomen nasai for the late update! Thank you Kagemihari for getting this out and thank you to my fans who've stuck with me so far! Please review!


	5. What is HE Doing Here?

**A/N: Ah, the fourth chapter! Technically it's the fifth chapter, but I wanted to get my chapter numbers right again. As always:**

_:blah: _is dreaming  
_italics_ is thinking and some ancient Egyptian  
_>>>>_ is scene change

**Chapter 4: What is _He_ Doing Here?**

_:Seto smashed his Duel Disk into the control panel of the elevator and he and Yami forced the doors open. They started back when they discovered the room was filled to the brim with monsters._

"_Let's fight, Kaiba!" Yami said._

"_I knew that when I fought Amelda, their monsters do not rely on our system," Seto answered. "So our monsters…" he let himself trail off._

"_Kaiba, believe it. The Duel Monsters do exist. Our technology isn't advanced enough to prove it." Yami looked over at Seto, and his mouth lifted upwards into a huge grin. "That's not surprising."_

_Despite himself, Seto also started to smile. "I know this hypothesis is kind of boring, but it seems we have no choice."_

_Yami tensed, one foot placed firmly on the ground in a ready charge. "Come on now, Kaiba! Break through to the central area!"_

_As they started to dash forward, Seto paused as the ring-tone of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata rang somewhere in the background.:_ (1)

Seto blinked as he woke. Yep, that definitely was his cell phone ring. The Kuriboh underneath his arm chirruped sleepily. Groaning, he snatched his phone and pressed the talk button.

"Whaaaaaaat?" he croaked.

"Hey Seto? Sorry to wake you up, but I need to tell you something."

Seto's eyes fluttered. "Who is this?"

"Nisama! It's Mokuba! Your brother!"

Seto glanced at the orange alarm clock. It was 2:40. He'd gotten to sleep an hour ago. He used his free hand that previously rested on the Kuriboh's fur to rub his eyes. Slowly, but surely, he dragged himself out of sleep's clutches. "Sorry, Mokuba. What is it that you need to tell me?"

"Someone is investigating your alias."

"What? Have they found anything?"

"No, your precautions are interrupting any connection they might make between you and your alias."

"Good. Have you found out who it is?"

"No, but I've traced it to Smallville. To the house you're staying in, in fact."

Seto blinked. "It must be Sullivan Chloe. Make sure she doesn't find anything."

"What are you going to do, nisama?"

"Nothing. As long as she doesn't find anything, there should be no problem. Thank you, Mokuba."

"Have a good night's sleep, nisama."

"Don't stay up too late."

"I won't. Sayonara."

"Sayonara." Seto hung up the phone and placed it on his bedside table. Damn it, Chloe had gotten suspicious. He would have to be even more careful around her than he was before. He stroked the Kuriboh, who purred and snuggled up even closer against his side, and went back to sleep. (2)

_>>>>_

"Ryuujin! Wait up! I want to talk to you!"

Seto tensed as he headed out of the school doors as school ended. The Rod growled again. Seto clenched his fists. It was becoming harder and harder to squash down instinct to whip out the Sennen Item and blast Kent with it. Seto gritted his teeth as dragons trumpeted in his head. _You aren't helping much. _They growled in response.

A few seconds later, the world suddenly turned upside-down, literally. One minute, Seto was striding out of the double doors, the next his feet were suddenly pulled out from him and he flew up in the air and tumbled down the stairs, landing with an _oomph_ at the bottom, the wind knocked out of him.

Stunned for a moment, Seto blinked a few times and looked to see who the culprit was. A horrified and guilty-looking freshman picked up a torn Cosmopolitan magazine halfway down the stairs. A very colorful, _slippery_ Cosmopolitan magazine.(3) Grunting, Seto mentally checked himself over. _Pain in my back, shoulders, right arm, and head. I am definitely going to have large bruises tomorrow._

Suddenly the girl ran down the stairs, followed by Chloe and Kent and half the school.

"Ohmigod, ohmigod, ohmigod are you okay? Shit, I'm so, so, so sorry. I accidentally dropped this and then you slipped, ohmigod are you okay? You didn't break anything right?" the freshman asked.

The air was filled with conversation as other students eagerly asked Seto if he was all right, if he wanted them to fetch the nurse, or if he needed some help to stand up. Seto's jaw stiffened. If the crowd didn't move back, they might be lying face-up on the ground. _Hasn't anyone ever heard of personal space around here?_ (4)

"Hey, guys, stand back, give him some air." Kent said.

Seto never thought that he would find himself grateful to the farm boy. He let out a sigh of relief as the crowd backed up and placed his hands on the ground and stood. The crowd, seeing that he was fine, soon dissipated. The last one to leave was the babbling freshman, who backed off when she found herself on the receiving end of one of Seto's finer glares.

Seto straightened his now dirty backpack and noticed with distaste that somehow his jacket was half off his right arm and the sleeve on his shirt was torn. Before he could tug it down and pull on his jacket, Chloe and Kent moved closer until they were right beside him.

"You okay? You took a huge spill there," Kent asked.

"I'm fine," Seto spat. Of all things, he slipped on a _magazine_ and _fell_. Down the stairs. In front of the entire school. Why had he even bothered to get up that morning?

"You sure? I'm think you hit every step as you rolled down," Chloe asked, and glanced down at his torn sleeve. "Whoa, Ryuujin! Where'd you get that?" Chloe pointed to the arm. Seto looked down and saw the familiar scar running down his forearm from his elbow to his wrist. He held back a shudder as he remembered the day that Gozaburo had truly gone crazy. The half-lie left his lips before he even realized he was speaking. (5)

"I was really stupid as a kid and our family had built a fire one night. I tripped on one of the stones near the fireplace and my arm got burned."

"Oh man, Ryuujin." Kent's eyes were wide.

"Christ, that must have hurt!" Chloe gaped at the scar.

"It did," Seto muttered dryly as he pulled down the sleeve and put his arm back into the sleeve of his leather jacket. He narrowed his eyes at Chloe and Kent and turned his back them. He could skip the drive home today and just walk. He didn't mind a long walk if it meant avoiding Chloe and Kent, whom he knew would ask more questions. No doubt this event would generate even more suspicion on him. Idly, Seto wondered if Murphy's Law and karma had a personal vendetta against him, and then wondered how crazy he would be considered if he said yes.

If he had been wearing his metal gauntlets instead of just a long-sleeved shirt, his sleeve wouldn't have torn. Seto could almost see the wheels working in Sullivan Chloe and Kent Clark's brains. They, especially Chloe, were very observant and Chloe was already investigating him. Who knew if she had told Kent about what she knew of him (which, Seto thought with pride, wasn't much) and included Kent in her search. Seto couldn't afford to be found out. Not when the culprit that was causing the chaos and mayhem in Smallville was still out there. Not when Luthor Lex was living just on the opposite side of the insanely small town and would recognize him in a heartbeat. Seto _had_ to keep a low profile.

_If this fall and Chloe and Kent seeing my scar were the only events that had happened to me, there wouldn't be an issue. But no, I had to be followed home by a Kuriboh, have those stupid dreams about my past life, accidentally mind-control Lang, and be stuck with a girl obsessed with the paranormal who happens to have Shadow magic potential. How long can I stay undercover if things like this keep occurring? Two weeks, three weeks at the most?_ Seto was jolted out of his thoughts as a person barreled into him. Seto narrowed his eyes, but didn't look at the bumbling idiot. Seto went a few steps before he had a hunch and checked his pocket for his wallet. It was gone. Seto gritted his teeth and turned, just catching sight of white hair as the thief rounded a nearby corner.

_Wait, white hair?_

Seto ran after the thief, intent on giving the pickpocket a good throttling. As he turned the corner a foot hooked itself neatly across his ankles. Seto turned his would-be fall into a flip and faced the thief in a defensive stance. And froze. The dragons in his head growled.

"I didn't know you were here, Kaiba. Apparently, this tiny town is just big enough to keep two Duelists from seeing each other," The white-haired thief laughed.

"Bakura! What are you doing here?"

"Ryou's father is interested in the caves paintings around here (6).Why are you here?"

"Are you the Duelist that's been wreaking havoc?"

"No, I just got here two days ago. I felt the imbalance of magic immediately, and the absence of barriers between our world and the Shadow Realm, but _I _can't do anything about it. Is that why you're here? To restore order?" Bakura smirked at Seto. "I thought you were still in denial."

Seto didn't say anything, but caught his wallet as Bakura tossed it to him.

"And what's with the change of clothes? Not want to be recognized?"

"Bakura, breathe a word of this-"

"No worries, _priest_. It's not in my best interests to interfere in this little mission of yours. It would be amusing, but Ryou objects." Bakura tapped his left temple for emphasis.

Seto glared. _Bakura has only been here two days, why is he so damn cheerful?_ "I don't see you nursing a headache."

"That, my dear priest, is because I am more adept at it than you. Despite the fact that there is almost no magic here, it does not hamper my health. Unlike you. Back in ancient Egypt, you were one of the most powerful sorcerers. Now you can't even adjust to different environments without a headache. It's pitiful."

Seto resisted the urge to grab the former tomb robber and smash his head against the wall. The still hostile growls echoing from his dragons and his rather embarrassing fall earlier weren't helping his mood either. _Calm down._ Seto ordered them silently. Reluctantly, they obeyed. His headache was gone, it had been for a while, but Bakura's smugness might give Seto another one.

Bakura smirk widened, as if he had heard the dragons as well. "Well, I must be go-" Bakura stopped in mid-word and tensed, staring at the vantage point behind Seto.

Seto felt a shiver of magic crawl up his spine and turned. Before them flew a Duel Monster.

_Kurama; Attack 800, Defense 800. Category: Winged Beast. Has a dangerous whip-like tail. No special effects._ The extremely large blue bird had no reason to attack them; except they were Duelists and they were in its way. For once, both of the Sennen Item holders had a common goal.

His dragons roared, as if urging him to call them.

_Not enough energy! No time!_ Seto answered.

The Kurama screeched and flew down, yellow eyes fierce and whip-like tail lashing out threateningly. An odd black aura surrounded it, giving off a wave of _heka bin_ (7) that made Seto and Bakura stumble a few steps back. Seto ducked the tail and drew out his Rod from underneath his jacket and unsheathed it, revealing the sharp blade. Bakura swore as its yellow talons missed his head by inches and drew out a dagger from his black trench coat. There were several things that couldn't be killed by Shadow magic, and Duel Monsters were one of them. And there was no time to root around in his pockets for his deck, Seto realized.

The Kurama screamed and swooped down again. Seto dodged the monster and leaped, stabbing one of the bird's shoulders with the Rod. It shrieked and went down, shadows leaking from the wound. Seto tried to jump back as its foot caught in the front of his leather jacket, but was too late as the talons tangled in the heavy clothing. He fell backwards, pulling the bird down on top of him. He hit the ground hard and his Rod flew from his hands. The bird scratched his cheek and chest with its free talons, tearing his shirt where his jacket didn't protect him. _I'm going to either need to have this shirt repaired or just throw it away when I get out of this mess._ Seto caught the foot as the talons neared his eye, trying to throw the heavy monster off with difficulty.

Suddenly the bird screeched in pain and threw back its head. Bakura lifted the dagger and stabbed again. The Kurama shrieked again and struggled, but Seto held it tight. Bakura stabbed once again and dug his blade deeply into the Duel Monster's heart. The Kurama gave a final scream and turned into purple mist as it died. His breathing labored, Seto grunted as he got up and retrieved the pieces of his Rod, firmly sheathing the blade.

"I thought you weren't stupid enough to drop your weapon," Bakura said as he sheathed his dagger.

Seto scowled. If he had been fighting a human, he would have never dropped the Rod. He gingerly touched the scratches on his face and chest. They hadn't bled much, but Seto was worried if the bird may have left some _heka bin_ behind in the wounds. Unfortunately, the Rod wasn't made for cleansing wounds; however, the Puzzle and the Ring were. Bakura saw Seto eye the Ring and rolled his eyes.

"Let me do it. You aren't that well versed in Shadow magic yet. You could make them worse, not that I would mind, but yadonushi's squawking is hard to ignore." Seto kept his face expressionless as he stored the information in the back of his mind. Bakura had never cared about Ryou's opinion before, so why the sudden change of heart?

Bakura lifted the Ring from his neck and used the pointers to trace the scratch marks. Seto hissed as they dug into fresh wounds, but didn't flinch. The scratches glowed gold for a moment before they closed and healed cleanly. Seto could almost feel the Blue Eyes White Dragons nuzzle up against his chest in an effort to comfort him. Bakura nodded in satisfaction at the healed wounds and replaced the Ring around his neck.

"You owe me big, priest. I usually don't play the hero."

"I know. Don't call me priest."

Bakura rolled his eyes.

There was a moment of silence before Seto spoke again. "What was it after?"

"Or where and what did it come from?" Bakura stared at Seto.

"I'll investigate this area if you investigate where it came from," Seto offered.

Bakura shrugged. "Only because Ryou insists."

_Liar. You know you're in as much danger as I am in. You just won't admit it. And even if Ryou did want you to help, you wouldn't do it if it didn't concern you._ Seto turned his back on the former Tomb Robber and headed down the alley. He held out the Rod and made sure his other hand was in easy reach of his deck in case something else was hiding. The shadows were growing because of the setting sun, which obscured the alley. Seto paused as his cell phone rang and answered it.

"What?"

"Kaiba, it's Yami. Have you found anything?"

"Oh, I've found lots. I've found Bakura, first of all," Seto said sarcastically.

"Bakura? What's he doing in Smallville? I thought his father was taking him to Tokyo for a surprise vacation."

"Apparently not. He said Ryou's dad wanted to take a looks at some cave paintings in this town and dragged him along. We were just attacked by a Kurama."

There was a pause before Yami answered. "I assume you got out fine. We _did_ expect this to happen."

"Yes, I know. Bakura and I are unharmed."

"Really?"

"I'm fine, Yami."

Yami snorted in disbelief, but continued. "What are you doing now?"

"I'm walking on the street the Kurama was headed to." Seto let out a breath. "This town, it's just as strange as Domino."

"Why do you say that?" Yami asked.

"It seems there was a meteor shower with unknown meteor rocks in 1988. Lots of people were killed or their homes were destroyed. The girl I'm living with, she's obsessed with the strange events that occur, and believes they're all connected to the meteor rocks that are scattered all over this town. She says that they cause people that come into contact with them to develop strange mutations, and I partly believe her. Then there is this kid, Kent Clark." At the mentioning of Kent's name, his dragons growled.

"What about him?"

"I don't know. When I met him, the Rod…growled." _Why doesn't anyone like this Kent kid? Why don't you like him?_ Seto asked the Blue Eyes. He received hostile feelings in response.

"Growled?" Yami's voice was disbelieving.

"I know it sounds insane, but it did. It's growled every time I've seen him."

"It growled."

"Yes."

"Was there any sense of magic around him?"

Seto rolled his eyes. He couldn't believe that he was actually being sucked in by this occult nonsense. "No. None whatsoever. I don't know why the Rod doesn't like him, but it just doesn't." _I don't like him either. He feels…alien._ "Wait, I think I found something."

"What is it?"

Seto tucked the Rod back into his jacket pocket and kneeled down beside a gray and dirty wall on the right side of the alley. He ran his fingers over carvings scratched at the bottom of the wall, fingertips tingling with the leftover magic on the spell. "Cartouche. Recently scratched here with a knife touched with _heka bin_."

Yami swore. "What does it say?"

"_Shewet hai! Redi-i kheftey sen net kekewey!"_

_Shadows descend! Give my enemy the kiss of darkness!_

"Do you think-"

"That whoever was going to be lured here by the spell was going to be Kurama's next prey? Yes," Seto interrupted. "This is no ordinary Duelist we are dealing with. This Duelist is well versed in Shadow magic." Seto paused and ran his fingers over the inscription, again feeling the odd tingle in his fingers from the spell. "And our Duelist is a female. She says _'Redi-i kheftey sen net kekewey.'_ '_Net'_ is feminine." (8) Seto dusted off his hand on his jeans and stood.

"So it is. Do you have any idea who it could be?"

"No. Whoever it is doesn't go to school. I checked every nook and cranny of Smallville High and there was no magic there." Seto shivered unconsciously.

"No magic?"

"None."

"But there is magic in every place!" Yami protested.

"Don't you think I know that? This town barely has barely an inkling of magic, which is why it's unusual for these events to be occurring!" _It feels so strange and empty here, like fire without heat._

"Do you think it has anything to do with that meteor shower?"

Seto sighed. "I don't know. I'll contact you as soon as I do. Sayonara." He shut the cell phone closed and put it back into his pocket. He walked back to the mouth of the alley and saw Bakura walking towards him.

"I couldn't find anything. Did you?" Bakura asked. Seto nodded and lead him to the carvings in the wall. Bakura frown and brushed his fingers over the markings. He hissed and drew his hand away, giving it a few shakes.

"What is it?" Seto asked. "I just felt a tingle, but it didn't hurt."

"You aren't as in tune to magic as the Pharaoh and I are. It felt like sewing needles were being poked into my fingers. That was definitely _heka bin_."

"But who was it meant for?"

"And who wrote the spell?" Bakura answered. "It was definitely a female. She uses '_net_.'"

"I know."

"But what's strange is that she says 'shadows'. In Egypt, shadows symbolized protection and shade. She needs to get her Egyptology straight."

"Or she could mean she wanted herself protected from her enemy," Seto said.

The two Duelists glanced at each other for a moment before the squealing of tires made them jump to find a place to hide. It wouldn't do for them to be caught by anyone before they had a chance to change out of their now torn clothes that the Kurama had racked with its talons. Seto especially didn't want to be seen with his bloodied and torn shirt.

A car door opened and slammed, and boots clicked on the ground as the person walked into the alley. Bakura grinned from his hiding place and glanced at Seto (who was hiding on the roof of the building), mouthing, 'he stole your wardrobe.' Seto scowled at him.

Lex Luthor frowned as he walked up to the wall, his black trench coat rippling behind him in the small breeze. He knelt down, one black pant leg resting on the ground as he traced the cartouche symbols with his left hand. Seto and Bakura tensed as they suddenly received ripples of strong hate and vengeance from the spell and whoever had cast it. Lex Luthor started and looked at his fingers, moving them around as if to bring feeling back into them. He stood, reflexively straightened his button-down black dress shirt and trench coat, walked back to his silver Porsche, and drove away.

Seto and Bakura jumped down from their hiding places and Bakura voiced what was on both their minds, "We just found our victim of the Duelist: Luthor Lex. That man has enough enemies as it is."

"He collapsed his father's criminal empire and imprisoned him. Now he himself has 'questionable' business dealings and has been rumored to supervise risky experiments with the local meteors. Why wouldn't he have enemies?"

"Maybe you should talk to him. One CEO to another."

"No. I have to keep a low profile. If I did talk to him, it would reveal me. Plus, the CEO of Kaiba Corporation wouldn't be caught dead in a hick town like this. There aren't any computer graphics companies around here or any other companies I could use as an excuse."

"So you have a couple of weird headlines in the tabloid, big whoop-dee-doo."

"No, Bakura." Bakura turned towards the CEO, one eyebrow raised at the tone of Seto's voice. "If anyone in the business world found out I was here, they wouldn't hesitate to take over Kaiba Corporation. As long as I have them believing I'm vacationing somewhere near Domino, they won't lay a finger on my company." _Or Mokuba._

The Sennen Ring flashed and Ryou was back in control. The youth stumbled back and leaned against the wall, one hand to his head.

Seto raised an eyebrow.

"You know, it wouldn't kill you to ask if I'm all right," Ryou snapped, and then covered his mouth. "Gomen ne, Kaiba-san."

Seto's eyebrow climbed to a further height on his forehead. "It wouldn't kill you to show a little backbone. I'm not made of glass. I _can_ be yelled at." _Wait, what am I saying?_ Seto scowled at himself. A year ago he wouldn't have said anything to Ryou or Bakura if it didn't concern Dueling. Before he had received the Rod, his main concern would have been coming up with another killer strategy to reclaim his title as Champion Duelist. A year ago he wouldn't have even considered setting foot in Smallville if it didn't benefit Kaiba Corporation. A year ago he wouldn't be talking to dragons in his _head_. His dragons let out a rumble that sounded more like a snicker than anything else.

"This is the first time he let me stay awake for the entire time," Ryou mumbled, running a hand through his silver locks. Seto glanced at Ryou and swallowed his smile of satisfaction. _So, I'm not the only one who has changed._

_>>>>_

"Your homework tonight is to do all the problems on pages 367-370 in your book. Have a good rest of the afternoon." Seto's math teacher, Merrill smiled at the class. The bell rang and as the class started to pack up their things, she called over the hubbub, "Ryuujin? I'd like to see you for a few minutes."

Seto raised an eyebrow as the rest of the class gasped and groaned overdramatically. What had he done to this teacher? He had succeeded in angering every one of his other teachers, and even the school counselor had approached him about his "attitude problem". He actually liked Merrill. Even though the material was familiar to him as his deck, he had found that once he gave Merrill a chance, she had a way of teaching that captivated his attention. As the rest of the students filtered out of the class, Seto approached the teacher. She was looking at a piece of homework, and Seto recognized the numbers on it was in his own precise handwriting.

"You wanted to see me?" he asked.

Merrill looked up from the homework and took off her tortoise-shell reading glasses and let them drape on her neck on the long chain. "Yes, Ryuujin. It's about your homework."

"What about it?"

"Have you been getting any outside help on it?"

"No."

"Looking in the back of the book for the odd numbered answers?"

"Of course not. I don't cheat."

Merrill frowned at his tone, but didn't comment on it. "I see. Well then, Ryuujin, how are you getting all the correct answers with only a third of the formulas written down?"

"I do most of the problem mentally. I am very talented at mathematics, Merrill-sensei."

"Yes. Yes, I believe you are. In fact, I believe that your skills at math are phenomenal at your age. Or any age, to be exact. Here, solve this problem on the board, please." Seto put down his backpack and walked up to the chalkboard, picking up a piece of chalk.

Merrill rattled off a problem from their current lesson and Seto solved it.

"That is correct, Ryuujin. Did you already read through the entire lesson?"

"No." If Seto wasn't preoccupied with work and his other homework, he would have.

"I see. Tell me, Ryuujin, do you attend a school for the gifted in Japan?"

What could he say? He didn't want to lie to this teacher. She was a great teacher and clearly loved her job. He appreciated when a person was good at their job and made others around them enjoy it as well, even if the subject wasn't to their taste. He could probably tell her a half-truth. Seto noted to himself that he was telling a lot of half-truths lately. "No."

"Why not?"

Seto knew that in his current wardrobe he looked like a middle-class citizen. "I cannot afford it, Merrill-sensei." In a way, he really couldn't, but not in the way he knew Merrill would think.

"Why is that? Surely your parents-"

"My parents, Merrill-sensei, are dead. I am emancipated and I take care of my brother."

Merrill blinked several times. "I apologize if I offended you, Ryuujin."

"They died a long time ago. I don't think about them very much. I've learned to accept what I have." _And no more. No matter what, I cannot have what ordinary people have. I do not…deserve it._ His dragons snorted and Seto mentally frowned at them. _You promised you would keep quiet while I'm at school. I'm still inside the classroom. _(9)

"Do you receive government money to help you take care of your little brother?"

"Yes." Seto lied. "And I work." This, of course, was true.

"I see." She nodded crisply. "I would love to give you some extra problems that are more up to your par, but I decided against it because it seems that your schedule is chock-full to the brim with AP classes. You have enough on your shoulders already, Ryuujin. But-" her slightly wrinkled face became sterner and her brown eyes glittered in mock-threat. "-if you treat this class like it's nothing important, I will not hesitate to give you that extra work, and I will grade it like any other homework or test assignment. Is that clear?"

"Hai, sensei." Seto dipped his head forward a few inches in a bow.

"Good. Now get on your way. I don't want to keep you any longer."

_>>>>_

Seto exited the school just a couple steps behind Chloe and noticed that Bakura was waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs.

"What are you doing here?" Seto asked in surprise.

Chloe stopped and looked at Bakura. "Whoa, how'd you do that to your hair?" Bakura glared at Chloe and she held up her hands in front of her as if to ward off an attack. "Jeez, I was just curious. Are you a friend of Ryuujin's from Japan?"

Bakura snorted with laughter as Seto made a choked noise in his throat.

"We-we're acquaintances," Bakura managed to say through his laughter.

Chloe raised her eyebrows, but said nothing. She leaned against the stairs, out of the way of all the other students (many of which were staring at Bakura in fascination) and waited for Bakura to talk.

"Do you mind? This is a private conversation," Bakura growled.

Chloe took back a step from the ferocity in Bakura's tone. "How was I supposed to know that? You should make those things clear before you start attacking people."

Bakura rolled his eyes. "Why would I want to do that?"

Chloe's mouth dropped open and she stared at Seto. "Do you make a habit of hanging out with people as rude as you?"

"Just ignore him. He lacks proper people skills."

"Like you're one to talk," Bakura and Chloe said in unison.

"Private conversation. Do I need to spell it out for you, girl? Go. Somewhere. Else." Bakura snarled.

Chloe gritted her teeth and clenched her hands. After a second she calmed herself and narrowed her eyes at the thief-king. "You know what? You're not worth it, you little white rat." (10) With that she turned around and walked away.

Seto had a little trouble holding the now purple-faced tomb robber back due to the fact that the CEO was howling with laughter. "Little white rat? I wish I'd thought of that first!"

"Shut it, priest. You're a-"

Seto's hand encircled the occult Duelist's neck before Bakura got any further. "Before you go any further, I want to hear what you have to say before I blast you to pieces." The Blue Eyes White Dragons in Seto's head chuckled in anticipation.

Bakura removed Seto's hand from his throat and rubbed it lightly. He spoke in Japanese to keep any idle ears from overhearing their conversation. "Fine. Since I am still in a good mood, despite that mortal's insult, I will tell you. While you were stuck in the Ra-forsaken prison they call school, I was poking around in Metropolis. I found someone who knows about the rogue Duelist," Bakura smirked.

"Then let's go."

"Not now, baka, tonight. He'll be at the alley on the corner of fourth and Hassleway at 12:30." Bakura turned around and glared at Chloe, who glared back. "'Little white rat'? I'll give _her_ little white rat. I'd advise staying out of my way when I make her eat her words, priest."

Seto rolled his eyes, but made a mental note to search through his notebook for a protection spell and cast it on Chloe while she was asleep. "Give me your address. I'll be there at 11:30."

Bakura switched to Ryou, who scribbled down his address on a piece of paper and handed it to Seto. "Thanks for er…holding me back earlier. Yami was screaming something terrible about throwing her in 'the bowels of Duat for Ammit to devour.'" (11)

Seto raised an eyebrow.

"Anou, are you sure about this? We could get caught, especially you."

"I don't get caught. Neither does your yami."

_>>>>_

At 12:15 Ryou parked the car at the parking lot near 4th Street and they got out of it. Ryou locked it and Seto (with a light headache from Chloe's tirade on how his friend was so rude and inconsiderate and possibly had a worse attitude than Seto himself) followed him to the alley. The alley was almost completely hidden by the shadows cast by the flickering streetlight and the very run-down buildings beside it. At the end of the alley were a couple of LexCorp dumpsters and one door entering into the most run-down of the buildings. Above the door was a rusted catwalk that provided the perfect vantage point for anyone who wanted to do a stakeout. _Convenient,_ Seto thought. _A little too convenient. Why would anyone choose a place that someone could easily watch? Unless they were so paranoid they didn't trust their own operatives, or this is a set-up._

"I know what you're thinking, and they are very suspicious of their operatives. From what I gathered, there is usually someone watching this building on that one-" Bakura jerked his head at the opposite building across the alley, "-but yesterday I convinced him to go on a…unexpected vacation, you might say, and to not alert the others of his impromptu holiday."

Seto didn't even blink at the open malice in Bakura, but instead focused on the building in front of them, trying to decide on the best way to climb up it and onto the catwalk. Ryou reverted to Bakura and they climbed up the run-down building using windowsills as handholds. They positioned themselves on the catwalk above the lone door leading into the alley, perfectly hidden in the shadows cast by the flickering streetlight on the corner.

Minutes ticked by as they waited. 12:30 came and went. Then 12:45. Then 12:50. Seto glanced at Bakura. Bakura narrowed his eyes at him and turned his attention back to the door. At 1:00 the door opened a crack, and a greasy-haired man with dark eyes poked his head out. Seeing no one, he walked out the door and started to head towards the main street. His clothes were cheap and frumpy and he was well muscled. Bakura caught Seto's eye and jerked his head at the thug. This was their man.

As the thug passed underneath their catwalk, Seto and Bakura leapt down and landed in front of the man. He froze.

"Who the hell're you?"

Bakura smirked. "Relax, we just want a little information."

The thug narrowed his blood-shot eyes. "'Bout what?"

"About the recent attacks in LexCorp. The ones done by Duel Monsters," Seto said.

The thug's eyes widened. "Waddya mean, 'Duel Monsters'? Those employees were just a bunch of crackheads. They were doin' tons o' shit, man."

"We know you have information about who was behind the attacks," Seto snarled.

"Dunno watcha talkin' 'bout, man. Now leave me alone, 'less you wanna get hurt." The thug smiled and reached underneath his jacket and pulled out a large silver handgun.

Bakura rolled his eyes at Seto and leaved against the dirty wall, yawning. "You can take care of this foolish mortal."

Seto quickly whipped off his belt and flicked his wrist sharply, making the metal buckle of the belt slap against the thug's hand with a _crack_. Startled, the thug cried out and dropped the gun. It clattered to the ground near Seto's feet and he kicked it away. (12)

"I hate guns. It doesn't take any talent to use one." Seto let the belt fall to the ground and reached under his jacket, drawing out the Sennen Rod and unsheathing the blade. "Knives however, take some skill. Luckily for me, I happen to be very good with a blade."

Bakura examined his nails lazily as he addressed the thug. "I would run if I were you. You might live a little while longer. Two minutes, to be exact. Considering the priest will give you a head start."

"Will you stop calling me that?" Seto growled. For the second time that day, he felt his dragons tense in excitement at the coming of a fight, although this time it was directed at the thug. The imbalance of magic was wearing down on them as well, and they wanted to find the rogue Duelist and make things right.

"Will you stop playing with this guy and finish him off?" Bakura snapped back.

"I've always loved games," Seto smirked. Without warning, the CEO lunged and slammed the thug against the wall, holding the blade against his throat. "But I am getting tired of this one." The thug paled.

"B-but they'll kill me! They'll set those monsters after me!"

Seto pressed the knife a little harder against the thug's jugular, making a thin line of blood stream down his neck.

"Ok, ok, I'll talk! Th-the chick who's obsessed with Duel Monsters, she's somehow bringin' them t' life and having them attack people!"

Bakura walked forward. "Tell us something we don't know, baka!"

"Who is this girl?" Seto demanded.

"I-I dunno! I sw-swear I don't!"

"Is she acting on her own? Is someone hiring her to attack people?"

"The rich guy, L-Luthor. Lex Luthor. He's the target. And I dunno if the chick is acting on her own! I think she is."

"Why?" Seto demanded.

"I-I d-dunno! I swear I don't! She just uses monster to try to attack Luthor! That's all I know!"

"Oh really?" Bakura's smile wasn't too sane. "I don't think he's told us everything, priest. Why don't you hand him over to me, so I can play with his soul for a while until he's ready to talk?"

"M-my s-s-soul? Her power, it's connected t' souls! Those guys that have been showin' up in hospitals, she's takin' their souls and using them t' bring the monsters t' life! A-and you can do the same thing? Oh God, please, just leave me alone!"

"Aw, but a soul is so fun to play with," Bakura purred, crimson eyes glittering in the flickering streetlight.

"Aw man, please, man, don't let him hurt me! Th-the chick, she's 'bout your age. Maybe a year younger. She's got some kinda grudge against Luthor. Somethin' t' do with what Luthor did to her parents or somethin'. Whatever it was, it was pretty bad."

"What does she look like?" Seto asked.

"She's Asian, Chinese or Japanese or somethin'. No accent, though. Black hair, brown eyes, y'know, the usual. She's short, like five-three. Real hot. And her breas-"

Seto rolled his eyes and pressed the dagger into the thug's neck, cutting him off. "We don't need to know more than that." He pulled back the blade and sheathed it. The thug slid to the ground, breathing hard. Bakura looked a little disappointed. "I suggest you run before he gets his hands on you," Seto said. The thug took one look at Bakura and squeaked, climbing to his feet and almost plowing through Seto in his haste to get away from the two.

"Well that was a big fat waste of valuable time. He got away," Bakura pouted.

Seto rolled his eyes again as he replaced the Rod underneath his jacket. He stooped down to the ground and picked up his belt and re-looped it around his waist. "You're just upset because you didn't get to steal his soul. Honestly, it's hard to believe you're _Ryou's_ yami. I would think that you'd be a little gentler."

Bakura smiled, eyes flashing. "You know the closer you get to the light, the larger your shadow becomes." (13)

Seto arched an eyebrow. "Feeling melodramatic tonight?"

"You're one to talk."

Seto ignored him. "We got some more information, and it's a guarantee that whoever is behind the attacks won't know it."

"Because if the thug spills, he's dead. So the girl is using souls to bring her monsters to life instead of her own ka. That's why she has been able to summon so many monsters without training. And it helps that she has a vendetta against Luthor."

"Revenge. She wants revenge."

"And that makes her stronger. How many attacks have there been besides the Kurama yesterday?" Bakura asked thoughtfully.

"One. At LexCorp labs."

"Not true. I felt two other attacks had happened in Metropolis while Ryou and his father were driving through. You were probably too distracted by your headache to sense it."

Seto scowled. "And it hasn't been reported in the newspapers because those that were attacked were afraid that they would be put in the nearest insane asylum. Or if they happened to Luthor, he didn't want the public investigating. Or the police."

Bakura smiled. "Got it in one, priest."

"Where did these attacks happen?" _Why didn't I know about them?_

The Sennen Ring flashed and Ryou blinked before continuing. "One at the LexCorp headquarters and one at the Metropolis Park."

"The Metropolis Park? Why there?"

Ryou shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, Kaiba-kun."

"Let's go."

Ryou glanced at his watch. "Um, Kaiba-kun? It's 2:45. You have to go to school tomorrow…today, and you need to sleep."

Seto glared at Ryou.

Ryou held up his hands. "I'm tired too! We can investigate tomorrow or something! The attack happened weeks ago. Any clues there would have been are gone by now."

Seto's eyes narrowed. "Fine. Let's go so you can get your beauty sleep."

Ryou relaxed. "Thank you, Kaiba-kun."

"But since you're _so _tired, _I'm_ driving."

_>>>>_

Ryou pried his fingers out of the dashboard as Seto pulled up a block from the Sullivan residence.

"Who the hell taught _you_ to drive? A taxicab driver from New York City?" Ryou gasped.

"You said you were tired."

"I'm not anymore! I bet you caused at least one accident back there!"

"Because I drive faster than the suggested speed limit does not mean I leave messes, unlike your yami."

Ryou snorted. "Yeah, I'm always cleaning up his messes. But still, Kaiba-kun, who actually _allowed_ you to have a license?"

Seto smirked as he got out of the car. "Gozaburo." _After he tested my driving skills in order for me obtain a driver's license, he never rode with me again. He knew a fiery death was too much of a temptation when he was with me. Of course, he never realized that with our deaths, Mokuba would be left alone and unprotected._

As Bakura drove away, Seto walked the one block to the Sullivan house. He checked to make sure that the residents were still asleep and unset the alarm. He then climbed up to the window of his bedroom, sat himself on the large windowsill, opened the window, and crawled inside. He shut the window and tensed at the sound of "Owooo?"

Turning around, he saw the Kuriboh sitting on his bed, wide-eyed. He walked over to the Kuriboh and ruffled its hair.

"It's just me."

It purred and leaned against his hand.

Seto's mouth twitched and he walked over to his chest of drawers and took out his pajamas. He then climbed into his pajamas, crept downstairs, re-set the alarm, climbed back upstairs, and lay down in his bed. The Kuriboh chirruped and snuggled under one of his arms. Before falling asleep, Seto allowed himself to smile. Kaibas _never_ got caught.

**Footnotes:**

(1) This is my response to the horribly translated dubbed episode I saw of the Doom episode where Yami and Seto fight against all of those monsters in the US branch of Kaiba Corporation. They even cut out the little hilarious bit where the doors closed on a monster's arm and its hand was cut off and it was flopping around while Yami and Seto were just _staring_ at it. It was the funniest thing I'd ever seen. Who ever knew Yu-Gi-Oh was full of black humor? If the dialogue was off, I was trying to translate from the subtitles, which is a little difficult to do.

(2) Of course Chloe started to investigate! She's probably brought Clark into it too, but Seto doesn't know that.

(3) Somehow, I think Seto's fall was made a little more humiliating due to the fact that it was a _Cosmopolitan_ magazine he slipped on. Poor poor Seto. Normal lives are filled with embarrassing moments, and I'm giving Seto about as normal a life as he can get.

(4) I've thought about this recently. In Japan, everyone bows (if I'm not basing this on clichés, but they do have some bowing in the subtitles) so they probably stand a little farther away from each other than we do. Due to this, I think Seto's used to a little more personal space, and the fact that he stands about three feet away from everyone anyways.

(5) You don't think Seto got through Gozaburo's training and learning martial arts without some scars, do you?

(6) Ah, the cave paintings. They aren't mentioned very much anymore in Smallville, but the paintings (for those of you who aren't Smallville fans) were drawn by the Native American tribe hundreds of years ago and they are very unique, meaning that they are alien cave paintings that have a lot of Kryptonian tidbits hidden in them. They also tell the future of how Clark and Lex will be enemies, blah, blah, blah. I would think that an archaeologist like Bakura's father would be interested in the cave paintings.

(7) "heka bin" means "evil magic" in ancient Egyptian.

(8) Before anyone asks, it's true. _Net_ is feminine. But please don't flame me for my horrible ancient Egyptian. I made up the spell by doing a literal translation of English to ancient Egyptian.

(9) Businessman to the core, eh?

(10) Did anyone else die of laughter when Chloe says that? I borrowed that insult from "Bakura Strikes Back" by Sydney without permission. Sorry if you don't like Sydney, but it fit so well.

(11) Duat is the name of the ancient Egyptian underworld. Ammit is the goddess who eats your heart when you die if you're not worthy of living in the afterlife.

(12) If anyone recognizes this move, cookies for you! It's a modified move I saw in a Ruruouni Kenshin episode where Saito knocks away Kenshin's sakabatou with his belt. It was so Seto that he also deserved to use it.

(13) Got that from as quote from one of Lizeth's fan arts. Check out her author page for the link to her Deviant Art page. It's worth a look, I guarantee it.

**Author's Notes:**

Again, gomen nasai for the lateness. I planned to have this out a week earlier, but things came up and I got a little lazy at posting, etc. I really enjoyed writing this chapter because I wanted someone to drive Seto crazy, not just for Seto to drive someone crazy, and Bakura was the perfect candidate. I hope he was in character too. I'm having a little trouble with the next chapter, but hopefully everything will get straightened out. And it'll be later since my French grade isn't doing so well. School does take top priority in my life, although this is much more enjoyable. Please review!

I uploaded this _again_ because lucidscreamer pointed out that it was "nook and cranny" not "crook and nanny". –burst out laughing- I've gotten that wrong every time I've used it! Some day I'll get it right!

Also, because I've gotten lucidscreamer and my beta saying that it's distracting, I'm going to take out the footnotes and just do stuff at the end.


	6. Buried Suspiscions

**A/N:**

_>>>> _is scene change

_italics_ is thinking and some word emphasis

_:blah:_ is dreaming and some flashback. It'll be clear which is which.

* * *

**Chapter 5: Buried Suspiscions**

* * *

"Argh! I can't _believe _it happened again!" 

Seto arched an eyebrow as he stood outside the Torch office. After hearing Chloe gush about her newspapers for weeks, Seto decided to investigate. As he strode into the office he found Chloe slapping the side of her computer and clicking the mouse repeatedly. Seto took the time to look around her office as Chloe grew more agitated with her computer. It was large and had around five computers in it on desks with filing cabinets to the side of the room. At one end of the office was a wall covered in newspaper clippings. Some read, "Five legged cow! Farmer baffled!" and "Chicken borne with two heads! Owners worried about feed costs."

Seto rolled his eyes and turned back to Chloe. She was still hitting the side of the computer and swearing. He blinked as she spat a particularly vulgar curse. The computer merely sat there and flashed its error sign, which only succeeded in making Chloe even more infuriated. Seto sighed and examined his nails as he leaned against the doorpost. "That won't fix it, you know."

Chloe jumped and swiveled around in her gray wheeled desk chair. "How long have you been standing there?" she yelped.

"Two and a half minutes."

Chloe blinked. "Well then, if you know how to fix the computer and save my files, I'd love you forever."

"No need of that," Seto drawled as he walked over. "Get up. I need to sit down."

Chloe snorted, but stood. Seto sat down in the plush seat and cracked his knuckles. This was going to be a piece of cake. As his fingers sped over the keyboard, Seto was startled to find that he missed it. He missed being able to immerse himself in a machine and know exactly what made it tick. He missed being able to find the problem and solve it. Usually he would do some hands-on building of the inventions he was working on during the weekend; but the deprivation of feeling cool metal underneath his fingertips, the delight of playing with wires and connecting and disconnecting them here and there, and seeing the results had unknowingly left his fingers itching for something to work with.

Seto turned his thoughts back to the problems of this particular computer and typed some more. He smiled with satisfaction as the computer rebooted and then the files appeared right on the screen. As he rolled a little distance back from the desk, he folded his arms behind his head and leaned back, smirking.

Chloe gaped at the computer, than at him. "How did you do that?"

"I'm good with computers."

Seto stiffened as Chloe leaned down and wrapped her arms around his neck in a brief hug. "You're not just good, you're a genius! Thank you, thank you so much! I thought I'd lost them forever!"

"Don't _do_ that," Seto grated out. He straightened and rose out of the chair and took a few steps away from the girl.

Chloe blinked again. "Okay. I won't." She added a few seconds later, "Sorry."

"I'm going to the park. I'll be back at your house around six."

"Whatever, maverick."

_>>>>_

_:Seto threw the doors open to Gozaburo's private office and tossed the documents onto Gozaburo's mahogany desk. They scattered every which way and some fell off the desk. Gozaburo patiently picked the documents up off the cream carpet._

_"How could you do this to me?"_

_"Honestly, Seto, you should have thought this one out."_

_Seto picked up the newspaper on the edge of Gozaburo's desk. "'Deaths in Rwanda Escalade with Use of New Weapons'. Those are my weapons! My designs!"_

_Gozaburo knocked the ash off of his cigar into the ashtray on his desk. "Excellent designs, I might add. Did you think that those were just petty homework assignments? Of course I was going to use them. Everything you do is for the benefit of Kaiba Corporation. It is part of your training, Seto. Kaiba Corporation earned a very large profit from the Rwanda government."_

_"You had no right to use my designs without my permission."_

_"That is where you are wrong, Seto. You are mine. My property. Everything you design, build, and imagine is therefore mine. I had every right to use your designs."_

_"You sold my soul to the military."_

_Gozaburo smiled and folded his hands together underneath his nose, dangling his cigar lightly from a free fingertip. "You never had a soul to begin with."_

_Seto said nothing._

_Gozaburo stood and took the newspaper from Seto's hand. "Now, for your insolence and blindness in allowing yourself to be tricked by me, you shall suffer a penalty."_

_"What sort of penalty?"_

_Gozaburo smiled wider, his teeth very white against his black mustache. "You shall see, you terrible boy.":_

"Ryuujin? Ryuujin?" a voice invaded his dream. Seto opened his eyes to be immediately blinded by the sun. There was a large male figure looming over him. Instinct took over and he did the first thing that came to mind: he hit the person in the gut. The person gasped and fell and Seto gasped too, holding his throbbing hand. Pain cleared his mind and he blinked the sun out of his eyes and looked down at the grass where the figure lay. Inwardly, he groaned. It was Kent.

Kent blinked and sat up. "Were you having a bad dream?"

_When did I fall asleep?_ "Are you hurt?" _I know I hit pretty hard. Even when I was ten I leveled bullies twice my height._ Seto shifted against the tree trunk, the points of the Sennen Rod digging into his lower back.

Kent shook his head.

I_ may be hurt, though. My hand feels like it's going to fall off. What kind of chores do you do on that farm, Kent?_ His head rang with his dragon's murderous rumbles and the Rod pulsed underneath his jacket. _Hush._

"Your hand seems to be swelling." Kent observed.

Seto looked down at his hand. It had turned a colorful shade of violet and was swelling. "So it is." _Nothing ice can't cure_. Dragons and Rod still trumpeted vengeance in his mind. _Shut it._ Seto snarled mentally. For once, both obeyed. Seto stood from his place underneath the large tree and he put away his laptop carefully with his good hand and slung his backpack and laptop case over his shoulders.

"Where are you going?"

"To Sullivan's house to get some ice, of course." Seto snapped.

"Hey, I'm sorry I scared you. And I'm sorry if I um…hurt your hand."

"You didn't scare me; you startled me. You shouldn't sneak up on me like that."

"Ok. I won't. Ryuujin, if there is anything I can do-"

As Seto ignored Kent's spluttering and walked past him, Seto heard Kent mutter underneath his breath, "Someone's hostile today."

_>>>>_

Seto hissed as he held the ice pack to his hand. Putting pressure on the swelling, even though he knew in a few minutes his hand would be numb, still hurt like a bitch. "Damn it, punching Kent was like punching granite. What the hell do they feed him on that farm anyways?" Seto growled to himself as he sat down at the kitchen table and looked forlornly at his laptop. He'd have to take a break from work today. He couldn't type with one hand, and unfortunately since his right hand was out of commission, he couldn't write either. He may have been a genius, but he wasn't ambidextrous.

_One of many talents that I lack._

The door opened and Sullivan Chloe walked in. "What happened to your hand?" she asked.

"I have learned that on direct contact with Kent's 'rock hard abs', my hand does not take the impact very well." Seto drawled.

"What? You hit Clark? You guys had a fight?" Chloe's eyes widened.

"No, he snuck up behind me and I reacted."

Chloe put her backpack on the floor and walked over. "It looks like it's sprained. We should go to the hospital."

"I don't need to go to the hospital."

"Ryuujin, you don't need to prove to everyone that you're tough. We know you're a heartless bastard. But you're still flesh and blood, and right now you need medical attention."

"I don't need a doctor." If he could just ignore his dragon's concerned growls in his head…

"Yes you do. Come on." Scribbling a note on a piece of paper and leaving it on the counter, Chloe grabbed Seto's left arm and dragged him out of the house.

"Let go of me, Sullivan!" Seto tried to yank his arm out of her grip, but the girl was surprisingly strong; if he dragged his heels, he would look like a child.

"You need a doctor. Your hand's swelling up like a balloon!"

"I don't need-" Seto was cut off when Chloe shoved him into the passenger seat of her car and shut the door. She jogged around to the other side and started the car before Seto could jump out.

It was a fifteen minute drive to the hospital. During that time Seto was fuming silently and Chloe kept glancing from the murderous expression on his face to his black and blue hand. She parked in the lot in front of the emergency center and got out of the car. As she was about to walk to the other side, Seto opened the door and got out.

"You don't need to baby-sit me. I'm not going to run away from you." He grumbled.

"Well, excuse me if I had to literally drag you here in the first place! Honestly, how can someone be so childish?"

They walked into the emergency room and signed in, and then sat down on brown plastic cushions to wait. Twenty minutes later a doctor emerged. He was a short man in his forties with balding brown hair and brown eyes.

"Seto Ryuujin?"

Seto and Chloe stood.

"I'm Dr. Walsh. Follow me into my office." The doctor took them out of the waiting room and down the hall.

"Seto, you're the foreign exchange student, right?"

"Yes, and it's Ryuujin."

Walsh smiled. "Alright then, Ryuujin. How do you like America?"

"I've been to the US before."

"How do you like it?"

_The last time I was in America a maniac had taken over my company, was threatening to destroy the world, used a magical ritual to steal souls- including mine- and Motou had to save my ass after I thought I had repaid my debts…again._ "Not much different from home."

"I see. Here we are." Walsh ushered the pair into his office. "Sit down." Seto sat down on the counter while Chloe took the plastic chair next to the door. "Now, how did this happen?" Walsh asked as he put aside Seto's ice pack and examined his hand.

"I fell down the stairs." Seto lied. Chloe frowned, but didn't say anything.

"Ah. Tripped?"

"Yes. I slipped on…a magazine."

The doctor arched an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yes."

"Hm. Why don't you make a fist?"

Seto eyed the man, as if questioning his sanity, but tried to curl his hand into a fist. A hiss escaped his lips as pain burned his bones.

"Mhm. Well, it looks like you have a Boxer's fracture. I'll have to take some X-Rays to see the extent of the injury, but it looks like it. The metacarpal bones connecting your index finger, middle finger, and the fourth finger are definitely broken. Luckily, you don't have any torn ligaments. That was some fall."

"They have a long set of stairs." Seto answered dryly.

"Hm. Usually this injury is not common in a fall. If you fell down some stairs, I would think that your fingers might be dislocated. Were you forming a fist when you fell?"

"Yes."

"Ah, that makes more sense." Walsh smiled and Seto swore his eyes twinkled. "Let's take that X-Ray, hm?"

Dr. Walsh pinned the X-rays on the wall. "There's your Boxer's fracture." He said, pointing to the broken bones. "And I'd say about five years ago, you broke your wrist, right?"

The Blue Eyed White Dragons in his head hissed at the memory. "Yes. I was climbing the rope in gym class and lost my grip." _How many lies_, Seto wondered, _am I going to have to fabricate my whole life because of that madman, Gozaburo?_

"Well, thanks to new medical technology, you won't have to wear a huge plaster cast again. Luckily, since your injury isn't as bad as it could have been and did not get infected, you can wear a lightweight cast. With Tylenol and a follow-up to your orthopedic surgeon, you should be fine in two to four weeks."

Seto's lips thinned. This wasn't good. With a broken hand, he couldn't work. And he was going to have to fight a rogue Duelist with a handicap. Damn it, why did Kent have to surprise him like that? Why did Kent have to have stomach made of goddamn steel?

"I'll set your hand and then you can be on your way. Remember to move your fingers three to four times a day so they won't get stiff. Also, elevate your hand when you sleep. And try not to fall down any more stairs."

Seto (with a new lightweight, removable blue cast on) and Chloe exited the hospital and climbed into her car.

"Why didn't you tell Dr. Walsh what really happened?" Chloe asked.

"I did. My hand was injured when I fell down the stairs, but I thought nothing of it. When I hit Kent, it worsened the injury."

Chloe raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "Uh huh. You should have gone to the nurse's office."

"I said that I didn't think anything of it."

"And hitting Clark's to quote you 'rock-hard abs', injured your hand even more."

"Correct."

Chloe shook her head. "Ryuujin, you are abnormally accident prone. First you fall in the fire in your fireplace and torch your arm, you fall off the rope in your gym and break your wrist, you trip and fall down the steps yesterday and do God knows what to your hand, and then you break said hand punching my best friend. Clark's not hurt, right?"

"I knocked the wind out of him a little bit, but he was fine." Seto wasn't entirely sure why he covered for Kent. All he knew was that Kent's...interesting abilities were something to be kept quiet until the most opportune moment. _Kent is a unique person. Punching someone's gut is not supposed to create a Boxer's fracture. You normally get a Boxer's fracture from punching a wall or not using gloves when hitting a punching bag. I wonder, is he even human?_

_>>>>_

Seto studied his laptop with a gaze he normally saved for a particularly difficult calculation in one of his new inventions. The Kuriboh at his side purred and nudged his injured right hand. The small movement made the beans in the jean beanbag in Seto's room crackle. To his surprise, Seto had found the piece of furniture comfortable. _Maybe I'll get one for Mokuba. He'd certainly like one._ Absentmindedly, Seto stroked the Duel Monster with his uninjured fingers as he stared at his laptop keyboard and steered his thought back to the problem at hand. How was he going to continue working with one hand out of commission? This was a large setback, and completely unacceptable. The phone on his bedside table rang, jerking Seto back to reality, but he soon put the annoyance out of his mind and concentrated to the current issue_. Maybe I can…_again he was startled out of his train of thought as someone knocked on his door.

"What?" he snapped.

"Clark's on the line. He wants to talk to you." Chloe's voice said through the closed door.

Seto sighed and picked up the phone, pressing the talk button. "What?"

"Don't you ever just say 'hello'?"

"No."

Kent sighed. "Look, sorry about that. You just…aren't very easy to talk to."

Seto smirked. "So I've been told."

"Yeah, well…um…"

"Did you have something to tell me or should I just hang up?"

"Hey! I just…I wanted to apologize."

Seto blinked. "Yes?"

"For startling you."

"Mhm."

"And…for breaking your hand."

Seto glanced towards his door. It was closed and there really wasn't a risk of being overheard. "I didn't expect to get a Boxer's fracture for punching someone's supposedly soft stomach." _Usually stomachs are soft. Heads are the body parts that are hard._ "And, even if the person was well built, it is hardly possible to break one's bones on contact with strong muscle. If the person was wearing a stone tablet over their chest, I'd say it was very possible, but you clearly weren't."

Kent was silent.

"I'd ask exactly what are you made of that broke my hand, but I have a feeling you would never give me a straight answer, so I'll let that one slide."

Seto could hear Kent's sigh of relief.

"But, that does not let you off the hook. If you or anything you are involved with puts me in danger or crosses my path, I will _demand _to know everything. It's for my own safety, of course."

"Now just wait a damn second-"

"No, _you_ need to listen. I have responsibilities at home that I cannot afford to throw away. If I get compromised in any way and therefore prevented with meeting those responsibilities, there _will_ be Hell to pay. And those people that are disappointed and also put in danger because I am not able to fulfill my responsibilities will rest on _your_ shoulders because of your foolishness. Do you understand?"

"Yes si-" Kent cut himself off before he could finish the 'sir'. Seto's smirk grew. Yep, he still had it. "I'm not going to be let myself be ordered around by someone who's my age!"

"That's where you are wrong. Good evening, Kent." Seto hung off the phone and crossed his arms with a satisfied sigh. The Kuriboh hopped on his lap, causing the beans o crackle even more, and glared at him disapprovingly. "What? I don't need to be involved in anyone else's business but my own. If his insolence manages to get me hurt again, not only will I be hurt, but if I cannot run my company anymore, Japan's economy will fail. And I can't take care of Mokuba if I'm injured." Seto told the fuzz ball. Its gaze softened a bit with the mentioning of Mokuba's name, but it still glared at Seto. Seto picked it up and placed it at his side again, and went back to trying to decipher how to fix the complication of having a Boxer's fracture.

_>>>>_

Seto leaned against the cushiony seat and used his left hand to sip his Americano as he gazed at the cast on his right. The cast, which formerly had been supporting broken bones, was now completely useless except for deceit. His metacarpal bones were no longer broken. The only reason he wore the cast was to make sure that no one discovered that his bones had miraculously knitted themselves together almost overnight. The only other person who knew of this was Bakura Ryou, who had been the one to heal the bones.

Seto knew it was dangerous and foolish to wander around a battlefield with a serious handicap. Indeed, since it had become habit for Duel Monsters to pop up in every dark alley, Seto needed to be at his full potential, which meant that he needed to be 100 healthy. Obviously, this meant that Seto had to get his hand fixed. So, after swallowing his pride, Seto approached Bakura at the white-haired boy's home and asked if the occult Duelist could heal him like the day before.

_:"Really, priest, I'm surprised you can't heal it on your own, since you're supposed to be one of the Chosen Ones." Bakura smirked._

_"Just heal it like you did two days ago, Bakura." Seto snapped._

_The former tomb robber crossed his arms. "Not before I know I'll get something in return, priest. I don't do things for free, especially for my enemies. You should be surprised I'm considering making a bargain with you after all."_

_"What about how you healed me a few days ago? We didn't make a bargain then."_

_"That was a serious miscalculation on my part. In fact, you still owe me for that one."_

_Seto scowled. "Fine." His teeth nipped his lower lip lightly as he thought and finally came up with a bargain that would strike the former tomb robber's interest. Seto leaned forward and whispered it into Bakura's ear. _

_Bakura smiled. "Done." Bakura gripped Seto's right arm and stripped off the cast before Seto could blink. Then, holding Seto's hand in place, Bakura drew out his Sennen Ring and held it over the CEO's hand. Seto hissed as magic seeped into his flesh and mended broken bone, exhaling when the task was done. He pulled his hand out of Bakura's grasp and turned it over, examining it with his eyes. Then he curled his fingers slowly and made a fist, and then punched his left palm lightly to test. There was no pain. Seto took back the blue cast and strapped it on to hide his now healed hand._

_Bakura lounged against the rich brown corduroy couch he was sitting in. "When do you plan on investigating the other areas that were attacked?"_

"_Later tonight, if it's possible."_

"_Can't. Ryou's father is taking him to Metropolis for dinner in a restaurant. It seems he finally noticed that he has a son."_

_Seto ignored that comment. Other people's family problems weren't of his concern. "Then tomorrow night."_

"_I concur."_

_Seto was about to stand up and leave when Bakura's raised hand stopped him. The white-haired Duelist leaned forward and crossed his arms. "You know Kaiba; you didn't seem so surprised yesterday when that pickpocket said that the girl was using souls to bring out monsters."_

_"Why should I be?"_

_"I'm just wondering how you figured out that the monsters came from a person's ka, that's all."_

_Seto arched an eyebrow. "I've been dreaming of my past life for about six months. How could I not know?" _

_"I don't think _Yugi's_ figured it out yet."_

_"Yami probably knows."_

_Bakura smiled. "I wonder what the Pharaoh's hikari's reaction would be if we told him."_

_"I wouldn't advise that."_

_"Why not? Wouldn't it be fun to see the shell squeal?"_

_'Every time you touch your Deck, every time you Duel, you are borrowing human souls. Every time you sacrifice, every time your monster fall on the field, that soul screams in agony…once you learn to hear it. Why doesn't Yugi realize that it's more than the safety settings on the Duel Disk that makes it hurt?'_ _"It would lower his skills in Dueling. I don't think either of us would like that. You want to beat him in a Duel, correct? How could you claim to beat Yami and Yugi at their best if you try to destroy Yugi's confidence now?"_

_Bakura smirked. "Don't get your loincloth in a tizzy just yet, Priest. I wasn't planning on it anyways."_

_"What makes you think I care?" Seto crossed him arms and eyed Bakura._

_"You're good, Kaiba. Very good. But I know you too well."_

_"You knew me in the _past_. Why do you think I'm the same person I was 3000 years ago?"_

_"The past makes us who we are today, does it not? Why do you think I still hate that damned Pharaoh?"_

_"And yet you've recently dropped right off the dueling field."_

_Bakura studied the vase on the wood coffee table in front of him. It was a bronze vase, about a foot tall and elegantly crafted with lighter lines of bronze running horizontally through it. Seto could tell that it had been crafted in Ancient Egypt. "We all have our own agenda, Priest."_

_Seto snorted and stood, leaving the former thief king to his own thoughts.:_

_>>>>_

Seto stood outside the abandoned LexCorp warehouse that very next day, the late afternoon sun warming his back. _Hmm, a bully wants to meet me alone at an abandoned warehouse so he can "beat me up". Can he get any more cliché? I wonder if this is a trap?_ Seto asked himself sarcastically. _The only way to get through a trap is to walk right into it._ Seto had even delayed the meeting (just to irritate Marley) and had gone to the Talon for a coffee. _No need to go into a fight and collapse from low blood sugar before the first punch is thrown._

Marley had approached the CEO in the hallway after school once all the students had left and challenged him to a "fight" in the abandoned LexCorp warehouse just outside of Smallville. The fact that Seto had a "broken" hand completely went by the bully. Marley had probably approached him when Seto had a major injury to improve the bully's odds. Luckily, Seto had that secret to catch the bully off-guard, if he needed to.

Seto rolled his eyes at the memory of Marley's "challenge" and walked in through the heavy metal double doors, but stopped only after taking a few steps. The warehouse was huge, dusty, and empty except for an odd large box-shaped object in the corner. Marley was nowhere to be found. _He's hiding, but where?_

Seto heard the air whistle behind him and his dragons shouted a warning. He turned just in time to see a knife headed right for his chest. He twisted just in time to avoid being skewered and looked up where Marley was crouched on the catwalk. _So, he's good with throwing knives. Can he use it in a fight?_

Marley narrowed his eyes at Seto. "How could you know? No one has ever dodged one of my knives before."

"How many has that been? One?" Seto mocked, calmly picking up the knife in his left hand. Marley jumped down from the catwalk and rolled to absorb the force of the fall. He recovered and hefted the large, heavy metal bat he had in his hand.

"Enough." Marley answered, his eyes glimmering coldly. "Let's begin."

"Can you be any more cliché?" Seto taunted. "I doubt an original thought ever entered your puny brain."

"It doesn't have to be original if it works." Marley answered, swinging the club at Seto's head. Seto dodged and switched the knife to his right hand and punched Marley in the stomach with his left. Marley gasped and stepped back, wheezing, but managed to stay on his feet. He swung at Seto again, which Seto dodged.

"You leave yourself wide open, Marley. I'm amazed you were able to fight one-on-one for so long and not be beaten. But, as all bullies go, you picked on those smaller and weaker than you and were able to finish them easily." Seto smirked as he punched Marley in the solar plexus, neck, and twice in the rib cage. Marley choked and went down on one knee. "My right hand's broken _and_ I haven't even used your knife yet. Pathetic."

"You're like fucking Bruce Lee." Marley said between labored breaths, clutching his ribs.

Seto's smirk widened and switched the knife to his left hand again. He was about to put Marley out of his misery with the butt of the knife when shadows crawled over his arms. The Blue Eyes in his head growled lowly, wings rustling as they prepared to fight. "What the-?" Seto muttered, turning around. A monster was being summoned, and it wasn't his doing. He was positive that Bakura wasn't doing it either. The white-haired teen wasn't even near Seto. It had to be the rogue Duelist.

A whisper of cloth and wind reached Seto's ears and he clutched the knife tightly, ready to attack. He couldn't summon a monster because he had no idea what monster had been summoned. If he summoned a monster and the monster the rogue Duelist had summoned was automatically immune to it, Seto would be wasting energy he would need later. In the short span of a few seconds, the monster was right in front of him and poised to attack. It was the Strike Ninja.

Seto threw the knife and it embeddened itself in the monster's heart. The monster screamed and dissolved into purple shadows. Seto smirked in satisfaction. An enemy defeated. He heard light footsteps and turned towards the threat. He had forgotten about Marley. Before he could dodge the bat, it hit the side of his head and his vision went dark.

_>>>>_

Seto came to, slowly. He winced in pain as he shifted his head. Gods, he had the worst headache. _I seem to be having way too many of those,_ Seto groused. _At least I finally had gotten used to the lack of magic in this goddamned town._ But where was he? _Last I remember I was in that idiotic warehouse, with Marley. Then that Strike Ninja attacked and distracted me enough for Marley to get the drop on me. Dammit! Where did Marley put me? _Wait, were his dragons _whining_? _I didn't even know it was possible for dragons to whine._ Seto opened his eyes to get a better look and still saw darkness. He felt the surface he was lying on and realized that it was hard and…was that wood underneath his fingers? He felt the area around him and realized that there were solid walls made of the same wood close about him and above him. He wiggled his toes and discovered that there was a wall at the end of them too and as he lifted his feet upwards he felt the same wall that was above his face. Seto recalled the box-shaped object in the corner of the warehouse. _I'm in a box. Why do I have a really bad feeling about this?_ The box itself smelled old, musty and the air was stale. How long had he been in this box and how did he get in it in the first place?

Unwillingly, Seto thought of the Egyptian myth where Set had tricked his brother Osiris to give him the crown to Egypt by having a box made. It was exactly Osiris' size. Then Set proposed a contest that whoever could fit in the box would win a prize. Naturally, Osiris wanted to participate in the contest. But while he was wearing the crown, Osiris didn't fit, so Set offered to hold his crown for him. As soon as Osiris got into the box, Set closed it and locked it. Then he took the sarcophagus and threw it into the ocean and Osiris drowned.

_Well, I'm not in the ocean._ Seto configured and then realized where he exactly was. _Oh God, I'm in a coffin! Has someone actually buried me alive?_ Sweat broke out on his forehead and back of his neck and his heart beat painfully in his chest as his breath quickened_. The square root of 465 is 21.5638587. Divide that by 15.7 and you get 1.373494182. Multiply that by 32 and you get 43.95181381._ Damn it, this wasn't working! _Okay, think of some measurements. My desk in my office is exactly twenty-two feet from the door and three and a half feet from the window. It is a fifty story drop from my window…I should _really_ think about something else. Ok, the Duel Disk weighs 2.432 pounds. It is four and a half inches wide and two feet and two inches long._ There, his breathing was slowing back to normal. Panicking would _not_ help him now. He needed to think calmly and with a cool head. First of all, how to get out before his oxygen ran out? What did he have with him? His jacket, Deck (the space was so close in the coffin that wouldn't be able to reach it, besides, he didn't have any monsters that were adept at digging up graves), and the Sennen Rod. The Rod…he'd seen it blast something before. Could it blast through wood and dirt? With some twisting and tugging and cursing at the bulky cast on his arm, he managed to get his Rod out. He held it up on his chest and closed his eyes. _I can hold my breath for a minute and fifteen seconds. Hope this works._

He opened his eyes as a burst of golden light erupted from the Rod and blasted the top of the coffin. Seto shut his eyes as bits of wood flew towards his eyes and dirt started to pile into the coffin. Taking a deep breath, he blasted the coffin again, creating a hole large enough to crawl through. He replaced the Rod underneath his jacket so he could use both hands to pull himself out of the grave. Seto took another deep breath, closed his eyes, clambered out of the coffin, and into the dirt. _Now all I have to do is swim through six feet or more of mud before my air runs out._

As he started to force himself through the dirt, he wondered if he was even going _up_. After what seemed like forever, he felt his left hand break through the surface. Seto froze as a hand grabbed his and hoisted him out of the dirt. He landed on solid ground on his knees and took a deep breath of air, coughing up some dirt he had accidentally swallowed. The hand that had been holding his let go and moved to pat him firmly on his back as he got the last of the dirt from his lungs. Seto shook the dirt and some shards of wood out of his hair and eyes and climbed to his feet, getting a good look at his rescuer. It was Luthor Lex.

"Are you all right?" Luthor looked at him.

Seto carefully brushed the dirt from his clothes and cast (it was hopelessly muddy). He ignored the goose bumps crawling up his arms as he sensed the remnants of Shadow magic around Luthor. "I'm fine." He managed to say. He noticed there was an odd bruise on the side of the man's temple, but stored it in the back of his mind to later examine. Seto could feel his Blue Eyes White Dragons eyes narrow to dangerous slits. _I know._ He told them silently. One of the dragons snapped his jaws. _Let me handle this!_ Reluctantly, the dragons backed down, but Seto could feel the tension in their muscles as if they were his own.

Luthor eyed him. "Right. You were just buried alive, managed to miraculously climb through six feet of dirt with a broken hand, and you're fine now? You should get that hand checked, by the way. The ambulance and police are on their way."

"I'm fine. I don't need to see a doctor." Seto glared at Luthor, who raised an eyebrow. "How did you know I was here?"

"Your attacker, John Marley, bragged so much about "icing" you that one of his friends got suspicious and called the cops on him. Marley confessed, and we started searching. Unfortunately, we had no idea where you were buried, which was where your little furry friend came in. I believe you call it a Kuriboh?" Suddenly Seto was nearly tackled by a flying brown fuzz ball. He managed to catch it and keep himself from falling, his left fingers absently petting the soft fur. It nuzzled against him and climbed to perch on his shoulder like a parrot. _What is it doing out of my room? What will Luthor think? Will he try and investigate it or will he take more drastic action towards it? His father experimented with animals, is Luthor following in his father's footsteps?_ "What a fascinating creature this is. It lead me here. I was just about to call a team to dig you up, but I guess you managed on your own. How?"

"The coffin had a weak spot. I managed to kick my way out."

They heard light footsteps behind him and Seto spotted white hair ten feet from them. "Ryuujin! I just heard that you were attacked and-oh, hello." Ryou ran up to the pair, his Sennen Ring jingling around his neck. "Ryuujin-kun, are you all right?"

"I'm fine."

"Why do you have a Kuriboh on your shoulder?"

"It likes me."

Ryou blinked. "Okay…" he said slowly.

"Are you a friend of Ryuujin's?" Luthor asked.

Ryou twisted his mouth. "I'm Bakura Ryou. Ryuujin and I, well, we're…acquaintances. We have the same friends." Seto raised an eyebrow at this but Ryou ignored it.

Luthor regarded the two with hidden suspicion. _But not hidden enough_, Seto thought warily. "I see. Well, why don't you two wait for the police and then I can drop you off at your homes? I expect you are going to get a warm welcome from the Sullivans, Ryuujin."

Seto shrugged.

"There's no need for that, Luthor-san. I brought the car; I can drive Ryuujin-kun home." Ryou offered.

"I'm sure you're a busy man, Luthor. You don't need to put yourself on the line for us." Seto said smoothly.

Luthor twisted his mouth. "All right then. Are you sure you're all right, Ryuujin?"

Seto's eyebrow twitched and Luthor backed off.

"I'll see you two later. Take care of yourself, Ryuujin."

After giving a statement to the police, Seto reluctantly let the paramedics check to make sure that he didn't have a concussion, but almost came to the point of threatening bodily harm if they even touched his cast. After the ordeal was over, the dragon and occult Duelists were left alone after Ryou promised the authorities that he would take Seto home.

Seto recalled the earlier conversation with Luthor and narrowed his eyes at where Luthor's had been standing. Something about the man's story of the Kuriboh leading the CEO to Seto's grave didn't ring true. Why did the Kuriboh trust the man in the first place? Why did the Kuriboh come to the CEO of LexCorp personally? Why didn't it get Chloe, or even Sullivan?

"I don't like him either." Ryou told Seto.

"Who told you that I don't like Luthor?"

"Kaiba-kun, you don't like anyone. But Yami and I can sense the Shadow magic on him. He's been playing with forces he doesn't understand. That makes him reckless and dangerous." Ryou eyed the Kuriboh on Seto's shoulder. "I'm not sure that fits you. How long have you had it?"

"For a little while. I saved it from a couple of guys that wanted to abuse it."

The Kuriboh chirruped in memory of that day and nuzzled Seto's cheek before it hopped off his shoulder and into a startled Ryou's arms.

"Who do you think summoned it?" Ryou asked, looking at the Kuriboh.

"The rogue Duelist. Who else?"

"Maybe Yugi did. If it was on the rogue Duelist's side, then it would have attacked us by now." Ryou stroked the Kuriboh and it purred. It stayed in Ryou's arms for a moment before jumping back to the ground and looked up at Seto. Seto refused to pick it up. He was going to _kill_ Yugi.

"Owooo?" it asked, looking up at him with bright green eyes.

Seto glared at it, but it was only a half-hearted glare. He was tired from fighting his way to the surface from the coffin. The Kuriboh took this as an invitation and hopped into his arms.

"Kaiba-kun, how did you get out of there anyways?" Ryou looked nervously at the coffin.

"I used the Rod to blast my way through. I'd rather not repeat that experience."

Ryou shifted uncomfortably and his right hand drifted towards a lump in his jeans pocket. "Let's go. I'll drive you home."

Seto tilted his head at the occult Duelist as they walked towards his car. "Can you even drive legally?"

"Papa can."

"Can you?"

"Anou…"

"I see." Seto smirked.

"It's not like Papa gave any time to get a permit! I think we're going to Tokyo, but no, Papa shows up and says, 'hey, there are some great caves in Smallville, and I'm taking you with me for some father-son time!'"

"He's not with you." Seto remarked dryly. Ryou's father hadn't even been at the house when Bakura had healed Seto's hand.

"Don't you think I know that?"

Seto had nothing to say.

Ryou sighed. "He does this a lot. I should be used to it by now."

_But it still hurts, doesn't it? Physical or not, the same blows, no matter how many times they're dealt, still hurt just as much as the first time. You just expect it, so there's time to brace yourself._ Seto mused as they reached the gray Subaru.

>>>>

"Ryuujin!" Chloe shouted as Seto climbed out of Ryou's car. She had been sitting on the porch.

"_Ki o tsukeru."_ Seto told Ryou as he shut the door. During the ride, Seto had told Ryou about his encounter with the Strike Ninja.

"_Shinpai na,"_ Ryou said. Seto scoffed at this and Ryou and drove away.

Seto stiffened as Chloe threw her arms around his chest.

"Oh my God, Lex called and told us all about it! You were buried alive! Are you all right?"

"If you don't let go of me, I won't be." Seto growled.

Sullivan ran out of the house and down the steps, practically dashing towards the two. To Seto's disgust, Sullivan also hugged him. _I've been through worse things than this, why are they making such a fuss over me?_

"Let. Go. Of. Me. Now." Seto clenched his teeth in discomfort at being squeezed tightly by two strangers. They did so immediately and Seto straightened his dirty clothes. "There. Before anyone else asks, I'm fine. I'm taking a shower and swallowing a couple of aspirin. Bye." Ignoring their shocked looks and cries of exasperation, Seto pushed through them and walked into the house. He climbed up the stairs to the bathroom and locked the door behind him. He took off the cast and managed to get most of the dirt off of it. Seto then turned on the shower and put his hand under the water to see when it would turn hot. He shook his hand dry and as he looked down to strip off his shirt he caught sight of his locket. He lifted it up with his hand and clicked it open so he could see his brother's face. _I had another brush with death today, Mokuba. Don't worry, I came out mostly okay. I'm not leaving you until _I_ say so._

_>>>>_

"Kaiba residence. Kaiba Mokuba speaking."

"Mokuba,"

"Nisama? How are you? How's the mission going?"

"…It's going in a direction I did not expect."

Seto could imagine his brother's sunny smile fade at his words. "Why? What happened, nisama? Are you all right?"

Seto took a deep breath. He could still remember the coffin, the horrifying realization that he had been buried alive, that his life was running on a timer, that he had had to rely on a solution as shaky and unreliable as the Heart of the Cards… "No, I'm not all right. But I will be."

"Nisama, please tell me what happened."

Seto closed his eyes, and then opened them again. The Kuriboh that was currently lounging on the bean bag; jumped onto Seto's bed and snuggled in his lap. Seto rested his hand on the soft fur and the Kuriboh nudged him. The Kuriboh's body warmth was so powerful that Seto almost felt it sinking into him like heat from a fire. It seemed it was granting him ground to stand on. "All right. I'll start from the beginning…"

Seto told Mokuba everything. He told his brother about Marley, breaking his hand, having it healed, the confrontation with Marley, the Strike Ninja, waking up in the coffin, and also his suspicions of Luthor. There was silence on the end of the phone once Seto finished.

"Nisama…" Mokuba breathed.

"I'm not going back to Japan, Mokuba. I'm going to finish the mission."

"Even if it kills you?"

Seto gritted his teeth at the emotionless tone in Mokuba's voice. "Damn it, Mokuba, I'm not going to run!"

"Nisama, if the locals are like this, how do you think the rogue Duelist is going to act?"

"Mokuba, it's not like I haven't been in these types of situations before-"

"That doesn't make this okay! What if you cut it too close this time? What if you get yourself killed? What if your soul gets taken again?"

"Bakura can be convinced by Ryou to get it back, and, as much as this pains me to say it, Yami would probably hijack the nearest plane in order to rescue it." Seto ended with a sigh.

"Nisama, I want you to not have to be in these situations in the first place! Seto, I want you to live without being afraid that something might happen to you." Seto could hear the tears in Mokuba's voice now.

"Mokuba, I can't back out of this. I'm in too deep. Someday, I promise you, I'll get out of this rut of saving the world."

"Nisama, don't make promises you can't keep. I know you enjoy the adrenaline rush." Mokuba snickered.

Seto's cell phone beeped and Seto looked at it. He had a call on the other line from Yami. "Hm. Motou's on the other line."

"Oh, I'll let you get that."

"He can wait."

"It's probably important, Seto-"

"He can wait." Seto repeated, and pressed the "ignore" option on his cell phone menu.

He heard the smile in Mokuba's voice as his little brother said, "Okay."

Ten minutes later Seto hung up with Mokuba and dialed Yami's number.

"Kaiba-kun! I heard from Ryou-kun! Are you all right?"

"Why does everyone keep asking me that? Yes, I'm all right. What did you want, Yugi?"

"I wanted to see how you were doing. Yami did too, and he wanted to see how the mission was going, because Bakura-kun took over before Ryou-kun could say anything more and didn't tell us anything."

"Hm. What did Ryou tell you?"

"Only that an insane bully had buried you alive and you managed to get out using the Rod. Oh, and you had made friends with a Kuriboh."

Seto bared his teeth at his phone. "That _you _sent. Didn't you think that I could do this on my own!"

"No, it's not that! It's just that…I thought you'd feel a little lonely without Mokuba-kun as company."

Seto's words died in his throat. _Yugi…Yugi and Yami sent the Kuriboh because they thought I might be…lonely? Not because he thought I needed help? But…why? Why would Motou do anything for me? I've done enough to him to make him hate me for the rest of his life. Why does he keep insisting on being nice to me? He must want something from me, but what?_ To Seto's dismay, he couldn't think of anything he had that Motou might want. With Bakura, it was easy to guess what the thief wanted. To the best of Seto's knowledge, Motou had no ill intentions towards him. He already had the title of the King of Games. He was constantly the center of attention of all his friends. Motou was always smiling, always laughing. And, Seto knew this for a fact; Motou did not want Kaiba Corporation. _So why does he do these things for me? What does he want?_ Seto pushed these thoughts to the back of his mind and went onto informing Yami, who had switched with Yugi, about the progress in the mission.

"Bakura and I were going to investigate the park where the Duel Monster attacked tonight, but due to recent events, we decided to postpone it until tomorrow. The clues we might have uncovered immediately at the scene are already gone. Besides, Shadow magic always leaves a lasting mark."

"Hai. Good-night, Kaiba. I'm glad you're all right." He could almost see the relief reflected in the former pharaoh's eyes as the King of Games hung up.

For the second time that night, Seto was left dumbfounded as dial tone sounded in his ears. With a sigh, Seto hung up and placed his cell phone on his bedside table. He got into his pajamas and took out his laptop, finishing the last of his homework and completing his daily duties as CEO. He then turned off his laptop and curled up against his pillow. Even with the Kuriboh nestled against his side; every time Seto closed his eyes he was haunted by the roof and walls of the wooden coffin.

* * *

**Glossary**

_Anou_- "um"

_Nisama-_ literally "honorable older brother"

_Hai_- "yes"

_Ki o tsukeru_-The command form of "Be careful/watch out."

_Shinpai na_- "Don't worry."

* * *

**A/N:**

Um, I'm really really sorry about the lateness of this chapter. My beta was very very very busy and I was busy and my beta called in a favor to Nenya85 (thanks so much Nenya!) to edit it and I ahd to clean soem stuff up and now I'm not even suppossed to be on the net because my mom is punishing me, so the next chapter, um,I dunno when that will be up. I have a lot of things to decide for that chapter.

And, because Neya pointed this out to me, when Bakura discusses with Seto about investigating, if you can't recall from previous chapters, Bakura had mentioned that there were two otehr attacks that Seto didn't know about. One in Metropolis Park and the other at Lexcorp Headquarters.

About Seto's relationship with Yami and Yugi, poor Seto is very confused. Every time he thinks that he has Yugi and Yami figured out, they go and surprise him. I can figure that no one besides Mokuba has ever done a favor for Seto or been nice to him, so of course he thinks that whoever does something nice wants something. Poor poor Seto.

* * *


	7. Here Be Dragons, Tread Cautiously

**A/N:** So, so, so, so, so, so, sorry this took so long, but like I said in my profile (but who looks at those?) I was delayed. First by the story, and then the fact that I was in San Diego for three weeks with nothing but a crappy Mac that was nine years old and did not even have spell check so when I tried uploading this chapter, it had computer language! As for the chapter itself giving me trouble, I had some things in it that were not like Seto at all and then I couldn't get into contact with my beta (still really can't, by the way, -moans- Kagi where are you!), so that's why I haven't uploading as quickly as I would have liked. And it will probably be like this for the next chapter, because this is when things are going to start to get a little hairy...

Oh, and today (August 14th!) is my birthday! Happy seventeen to me! Wow, I have to change my age on my profile.

**

* * *

Chapter 7: Here Be Dragons, Tread Cautiously...

* * *

**

"Look, there he is!"

"That Japanese guy that crawled out of a grave Marley put him in?"

"Yeah, that sadistic bastard tried to kill the Japanese guy!"

"Should he be here? I mean, it happened yesterday-"

"Glad Marley's rotting in jail, fucker deserved it-"

"I'd be in bed for a month if that happened to me-"

Whispers followed Seto throughout his school day like his shadow. Seto counted at least twenty different occasions where students from all grades came up to him to ask if he was all right. He'd stopped answering at the fifth person. _If I'm up and walking around and going to class, doesn't that say enough? This is worse than Motou's concern. At least he doesn't smother me!_

While this went on, Chloe watched it with an amused smile. At the end of the day, she revealed her amusement to Seto as he emptied his locker. Even though he had not been assigned homework (except from Merrill-sensei) he wanted to use this chance to get ahead. "It was exactly like this during my freshman year when I was buried alive. Kidnappings, weird mutant occurrences, that's normal. Living graves are less common here."

Seto raised an eyebrow at her and shut his locker door. "Why does this not surprise me?"

Chloe snorted as they walked down the hall. "Well, it's Friday, so you won't be bothered any longer."

_Thank the gods for that._

**_>>>>_**

Seto sat up in bed with a gasp. He clenched his teeth painfully as he forced his hoarse gasps to slow, even breaths. Wiping the sweat off his forehead and upper chest, his fist bounced off his mattress with a muted thud. His nightmares had changed. Instead of visions of his training with Gozaburo or Death-T, he was trapped by wooden ceilings and walls as dirt forced itself into his lungs.

"This will not continue."

_Marley will not go on with his life without the proper punishment. I will have my revenge._

Seto threw back his covers and stood, opened the drawer on his bedside table and taking out the Rod. It glinted in the beam of moonlight that had found its way into the room through a crack in the shutters, as if sensing what was coming. Seto smiled. He knew exactly what to do.

The Rod pulsed in his hand, growing warm. Purple shadows climbed up the walls and a wind ruffled Seto's hair, even though he knew no windows were open. He felt warmth gather in his chest and the Rod flashed so brightly that Seto was blinded for a second. The flash disappeared as quickly as it had come and discovered that he had somehow been transported to an entirely different place.

He was standing on a barren hill blanketed in fog, dead trees like long-fingered corpses in the distance. Although the sky showed it was night, Seto could see perfectly. Seto took a step forward and realized that instead of wearing his pajamas, his clothes had changed to his black pants, boots, and black button down shirt adorned with buckles and straps, complete with the white trench coat he had worn during Battle City. Seto climbed up the hill and discovered that Marley, clothed in gray drab pajamas, was sitting with his knees curled up to his chest, his eyes wide and frightened.

"Where am I? Ryuujin! What the hell are you doing here, you bastard!"

"You're on the path to your mind, Marley." Seto answered. "And I am here to ask you some questions."

"What kind of questions?" Marley asked, standing up. Seto observed with amusement that while in the real world, Marley had been an inch taller than Seto, but was now several inches shorter than the Duelist.

"I want to know what kind of sick and twisted reason you had for burying me alive. As far as I know, I barely had any contact with you. What the fuck was running through your deranged head when you attacked me and then stuffed me in a coffin!"

"It was justified." Marley smiled.

"Justified!" Seto seized Marley's lapels and raised him a foot in the air. "How was it justified?"

"You fucking bastards ruined my grandfather's life! Every one of you has to die!" Marley spat.

"What the hell is your problem? How the fuck did I ruin your grandfather's life? How did I ruin your life? You almost ruined mine!"

"My grandfather was a soldier in the Bataan Death March. He watched as you mother fuckers took seven of his comrades, had them dig their own graves, climb in them, and then you Japs hit them over the head and buried them alive! While he watched! You Japs are sick, murderous freaks!"

Seto threw Marley down to the dirt like he was trash. "Why don't I prove you right?"

Seto held out the Rod and a beam of light hit Marley between his eyes. Marley gasped for a second, and was still. Then suddenly he started clawing at the air and screaming,

"No! God no, you fucking bastards! Don't do this to me! Let me out you mother fuckers! Let me out!"

"Welcome to your living grave, Marley. Have a nice time." Seto chuckled darkly and waved the Rod. It glowed brightly like before and then went out. Seto blinked furiously and gazed at his surroundings.

He was back in the bedroom and once again dressed in his pajamas. Seto took one step towards his bedside table and stumbled, feeling as if all his energy had been pulled out of him at once. He staggered to the bedside table and threw the Rod into the drawer and collapsed into bed, instantly falling asleep.

_**>>>>**_

There was an annoying jab that kept repeating in his left shoulder, and something furry was tickling the sole of his right foot. Seto furrowed his brow, trying to figure out the sources. Then he realized that there was a sound that kept repeating in his left ear. His closed eyelids twitched as he concentrated past the fog in his brain.

"Ryuuuuuuuujin."

Hm, did he know this Ryuujin? There was another sound in the background, a quiet, low rumble. What it an earthquake? No, his bed wasn't shaking…

"Ryuuuuuuuujin."

…That name sounded familiar. Was it a past acquaintance?

"Ryuuuuuuuujin."

Wait, that was his name. His code name. Now, who was this person that was saying his name in his ear? The voice was high-pitched and female and had an American accent.

Also, what was the thing at his foot? Was that faint sound in the background…purring? He knew he didn't have a cat, especially a cat that was as fluffy as this one felt. The only fluffy cat he knew of was a Persian cat that one of his aunts had kept. She had brought it over every time she had visited his mother and father. Seto frowned. He hated Persian cats.

"Ryuuuuuuuujin."

Suddenly it seemed as if someone had switched on a light bulb above his head in one of those ridiculous cartoons that was watched by people like Pegasus. He wasn't at home, he was in Smallville. The girl that was using his code name was Chloe, and the jabbing in his left shoulder was her poking it over and over again. The thing at his foot was…Seto cracked open one eye at a time and sat up slowly, peering at the foot of his bed. Yep, it was the Kuriboh, and it was nuzzling his bare foot.

"Ah, you're awake, sleepyhead!" Chloe said brightly.

The Kuriboh stopped rubbing against his foot and jumped up, rushing over to the head of Seto's bed. Seto was thrown back against his headboard as the duel monster collided into his chest. Chloe laughed at this and picked up the Kuriboh, cuddling it. Seto arched an eyebrow. This was certainly a change of attitude from the first time she had seen it.

"You seem to get along very well," Seto observed as the Kuriboh purred in Chloe's arms.

"I have to admit it, it's adorable." Chloe grinned.

"Why did you call me 'sleepyhead'?"

Chloe snorted. "Because you are one. Look at the time."

Seto blinked as Chloe picked up the orange alarm clock in one hand while holding the Kuriboh in the other and shoved the clock in his face. He had to blink several times to see the digital numbers clearly. Then he blinked a couple more times at what the clock read. "10:30!" When was the last time he'd slept this late? Not in years. Then it dawned on him why this had happened. Magic. He'd exhausted himself by using magic last night and slept very, very late. _Damn it. Why am I exhausted? Motou and Bakura never show signs of exhaustion when they used magic, excepting when Bakura was attacked by Ra. Am I going to be like this every time I use magic?_

Chloe's next words dragged Seto out of his internal ruminations. "Well, you sleeping late proves you have potential after all."

"Potential for what?"

"To be an average teenager."

Seto snorted. The last time someone had told him he'd had potential was Gozaburo about his ability to run Kaiba Corporation.

"Oh, and look at this." Chloe put aside the alarm clock to replace it with the morning paper. "You're good old friend Marley seemed to have bigger psychological problems than we thought."

Seto snatched the paper out of her hands and read the headline: 'Teen Convicted of Attempted Murder Dies In Freak Nightmare'. "He's dead?" _He's...dead?_ Seto put the paper down before it's shaking betrayed the jerking in his hands. He pushed the sickness and weakness down with an ease that spoke of long practice.

"Yeah. It was weird, too. Even in Smallville terms. He started having this nightmare at one in the morning and wouldn't wake up. He died five hours later when his heart gave out. Seemed his family had a history of heart problems, which made him more vulnerable then any other person, especially since he was our age. Even weirder, people that heard him screaming in the nightmare said he thought he was being buried alive by the Japanese troops from World War II."

"Hn."

She eyed him. "You don't sound too broken up by it."

"He _did_ try to kill me. Do you expect me to drape myself in sackcloth and sit in ashes?" _Kami, he's dead. I killed him. He's dead and _I killed him. Seto almost laughed. _Well, it wouldn't be the first time._ Uwillingly, a faintest whisper at the back of his mind answered his own mental remark. _I wish it was the first time. I wish that there never_ was_ a first time._ Seto ignored this whisper like he had ignored the sickness.

"I wouldn't picture you doing that in a million years."

_**>>>>**_

"You sure you're up for this?" Ryou asked as he drove. They were going to Metropolis to do further investigating at the places where the attacks had occured.

"What are you talking about?" Seto asked.

"Well, you've only just crawled out of your own grave. One would think you'd like to spend some more time recovering."

"You underestimate me, Ryou. You should know better," Seto remarked.

Ryou nearly snorted. "Right." He paused for a moment and then said casually. "I heard that Marley, the guy that buried you, was found in his cell, shrieking about being buried alive. He seemed to be having a nightmare, and no one could wake him. He died a few hours later."

"Hn." Seto turned his head slightly away from Ryou and towards the window, as if in contempt, but used the chance to swallow hard and push the sickness back down. He let out a quiet breath to relax his tense muscles and smirked as he suceeded.

"Ya-Bakura said later that he felt the Rod being used last night. I felt it too."

Seto kept the back of his head towards Ryou. "Your point? You know how Yami used the Puzzle against bullies, and your yami's no saint. No one tries to kill me and gets away with it."

This time, Ryou did snort. "Of course they don't."

**_>>>>_**

"Well, here it is. Across the park is where the attack took place. What do you think we'll find?"

"Who knows?" Seto replied. They were standing outside of Metropolis Park. During the day, Seto reflected, it might be a nice, cheerful place. At night, however, it was uncomfortably eerie. The wind blew through the trees and made the leaves rustle and the swings sway back and forth, their rusty chains creaking. Shadows cast by the moonlight and the streetlights flickered oddly on the jungle gym, making it seem that the spirits of children were enjoying the park after hours. Seto mentally shook his head. _Get a hold of yourself. You're only nervous because you're still trying to recover from that insane Marley's attempts on your life._ Seto refused to think about when the last time he'd been in an empty park was when the police had found him and Mokuba and told them that their father was never going to take them home from the park again.

"Kaiba-kun?" Ryou's voice broke through his thoughts and Seto dragged himself back to the present.

"Let's go," Seto said, and started walking. Behind him, Ryou raised an eyebrow in puzzlement, but followed the Dragon Duelist.

They walked through the park, Seto's boots clicking and Ryou's sneakers shuffling on the concrete path. They soon reached the opposite side of the park where a wall with a brightly colored painted mural stood. The site was blocked by Caution tape that Seto and Ryou easily stepped over. The sign on the wall read, 'Wall Dedicated by LexCorp'. Seto snorted at this.

"Luthor's trying to pull himself off as a philanthropist."

"Maybe he really wants to help people," Ryou suggested.

Seto laughed sardonically. "You keep telling yourself that." His eyes narrowed as he spotted a muddy brown splash on the painted green grass, almost invisible in the dim light. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ryou's eyes narrow too, and knew that the white-haired teen had seen it as well.

"Is that-?" Ryou started to say, and Seto kneeled down and scratched at the wall with his fingernail. He sniffed at the substance, and immediately recognized the familiar metallic scent.

"Blood. Old blood." Seto stood and looked at Ryou. "What do you know of these other two attacks?"

"That they occurred right after one another. One happened here, involving a man who was touching up the mural, he got wounded and was put in the hospital, but was released the next day. The other one took place in LexCorp headquarters, right outside of Luthor Lex's office. A monster attacked security and one of them got away unscathed, the other was not so lucky. He lost an arm."

_Ouch._ "Do you have any idea what monsters they were?"

"No, since it wasn't reported in the newspapers, I only was able to find out where they were and who was hurt."

"I see." Seto dug out his Sennen Rod and held it out. It glowed in the darkness and Seto blinked as he suddenly received information. "The Duelist used Sacred Crane to attack the painter here." _Sacred Crane. Attack 1600, Defense 400. A stronger monster than before. A Winged Beast/Effect Card. Effect allows Dueler, when it is special summoned, to draw another card. That card could have been another monster, which was what would have enabled the rogue Duelist to attack LexCorp again so quickly. She Summoned two monsters, one right after the other, and probably ones that have more than 1500 Life Points. She's gotten stronger, which means she taking more souls. But where is she getting the souls without it being blasted on the media? Wait a minute!_ Seto remembered reading in the newspaper the other day of the recent attacks on the homeless in Metropolis. Each of them men was found lying facedown on concrete and unresponsive. It was thought that they had gotten into some drug that was migrating the streets, but Seto would bet all his money that the rogue Duelist had taken their souls instead.

"The Sacred Crane can allows you to draw another card, which would mean she could attack with another monster card immediately afterwards. But what monster did she use to attack the security guards?" Ryou asked.

"I don't think that information is very important. What we do know is that she's getting stronger, and she's using the homeless' souls as fuel."

Ryou blinked. "Of course! I've read in the newspaper about the homeless being found drugged up!"

Seto replaced the Rod underneath his jacket. "I think we've found all we could here. Let's-" he was interrupted by the shout of a security guard.

"Hey you, kids! This is a crime scene! No loitering!"

Seto and Ryou threw up their arms to cover their eyes as the security guard shone his flashlight on them, huffing from having to run to the teens from across the street.

"Relax, officer, we were just leaving," Ryou purred. No, not Ryou, Seto realized. Bakura had come out to play.

"You better not have been causing any trouble." The guard warned, his hand going for his radio.

Seto thought fast. If the guard called in backup, they'd be discovered, and then kami knew what Bakura would do. "Not at all. We were jus' lookin' fer a place t'play some cards, y'know? Seemed kinda cool t'play cards in an abandoned park, man. Makes it a little mo' interestin'" Seto leaned against the wall casually, trying to imitate the thug from three nights ago voice and Jounouchi's careless attitude. Bakura arched an eyebrow at the CEO and Seto took out his Deck, shuffling it expertly.

The security guard looked at them, and then scratched his bald head and gestured with the flashlight. "Fine. Get outta here before I call in my superiors."

"Sure thing, man." Seto tucked his Deck back in his pocket and carelessly saluted the patrolman with two fingers. He stepped back over the Caution tape with Bakura following him. The guard eyed them until they were out of the park and on their way to Ryou's car.

"Give me your keys, I'm driving. I don't care if you know how; I'm not trusting ancient Egyptian spirits with any modern technology outside of a Duel Disk," Seto said as they stood outside the Honda.

Bakura rolled his eyes, but tossed the keys to Seto. "Fine. It's worth it, just to see you talking like that. You looked like that idiot, Jounouchi."

Seto scowled. "Tell anyone about this and you will regret it, kisama."

"As if you could do anything to me," Bakura scoffed.

"I have three Blue Eyes White Dragons. Against your Man-Eater Bug, there only outcome would be seared bug guts."

"You'll have to Summon them first. I don't think you even know how to do that."

"At least I'm familiar with modern technology."

"You're driving? Here's a tip: Americans drive on the right side of the road, not on the left, like they do at home."

Seto leaned against the car door. "Do you even know which pedal is the gas and the break?"

Bakura narrowed his eyes and Seto laughed and unlocked the car and climbed in.

"Just as I thought."

_**>>>>**_

"And so everything blows up in Rose's face, rather like how Nagasaki blew up in the face of the Japanese," Seto's English teacher, Gryphon-sensei laughed, concluding her analysis of the book the class was reading. It was the next day at school, and Seto had been halfway paying attention. He'd been spending more time thinking about what the rogue Duelist next move than what the teacher was saying when the joke caught his attention.

Kent's and Chloe's mouths dropped open in shock at the offensive joke while some members of the class managed a weak chuckle. Seto's eyes narrowed to dangerous slits. Chloe and Kent both turned their heads towards Seto and Chloe held out one of her hands, ready to restrain the temperamental Dragon Duelist.

Seto opened his mouth to say something extremely insulting when the girl sitting next to him nudged his shoulder. Seto turned his smoldering gaze to her, but Amber, the talkative captain of the cheerleading team, didn't notice.

"What's Nagasaki?" she whispered.

Seto blinked, taken by surprise. "What?"

"I asked you what Nagasaki was. You're Japanese, you can tell me."

Seto blinked again and tried to collect his thoughts to decide what he was going to say. His eyes lit up and a smirk crossed his lips as he decided what to tell the stupid girl. "Nagasaki is a great vacation spot in Japan. One of the best."

Chloe's eyes widened and Kent made a strangled noise.

"Oh really?" Amber tossed a lock of her brown hair over her shoulder. "Does it have nice resorts?"

_I _must_ keep a straight face._ "Some of the finest. And you can get a great tan there. Wonderful scenery, with beautiful rivers and green hills and the architecture equals the Vatican."

"Any beaches?"

"...I don't think so."

"That's a shame, but I bet the resorts are awesome! I'll go ask my dad if I can go there this summer!" She practically squealed with delight, not taking any note of Chloe and Kent's attempt to hold in their laughter. Seto absentmindedly noted that Kent's face was turning an interesting shade of magenta from his efforts.

"I hope you have a nice time. Why don't you send me a postcard?" Seto replied. That was the last straw for Chloe and Kent. The laughter erupted out of their mouths and they scrambled out of their seats and sprinted towards the door. The rest of the class stared at them and back at Seto and Amber. Seto shrugged and Gryphon-sensei raised both eyebrows, but went back to his lecture.

_**>>>>**_

Seto glanced around the hall again. No one around the school, not even the students who had after school clubs or sports, which suited the Duelist just fine. He walked to the music room, his normally brisk strides slowing to uncharacteristically slow steps. He opened the door to the empty classroom and stepped inside, turning on the light. He stripped off his cast and laid it on a nearby chair. Seto picked up a shabby, plastic black case that was the right size and shape and opened it, taking out the musical instrument. He hesitated as he held the violin and bow. How long had it been since he had played? _Seven years. It's been seven years._ He adjusted his grip on the violin and put the wooden chinrest underneath his chin and the shoulder up against his and gripped the bow. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then opened them and put the bow to the strings, moving it vertically, and winced at the sound he made. He was more than a little rusty.

He practiced for the next thirty minutes, recalling the basic scales and notes and simple songs until his fingers remembered the right placing on the fingerboard and his grip adjusted correctly. He had begun the violin at five, after his parents had taken him to a symphony. Mokuba hadn't been born yet. Once Seto had heard the first violinist play, he had fallen in love with the instrument and begged his parents for lessons. Gladdened by their son's interest in music, they had obeyed Seto's requests and started him on the violin immediately. Seto had loved the instrument, and although he was not a natural and would never be better than average, he practiced every day for hours.

Even after his brother's birth and mother's death, Seto hadn't stopped playing. Even in the orphanage, various instructors that had visited had volunteered to teach lessons to the future CEO. But Seto had stopped playing once Gozaburo had adopted him. Even after Gozaburo's death, Seto had not touched the violin, despite Mokuba's pleas…except now.

Now that Seto was officially acquainted with the violin, he started on a piece, the first complicated piece he had learned, to be exact. As his fingers pressed on the strings and the bow moved up and down, something eased in Seto's chest. A certain tension that had been there for as long as he could remember. It was as if his heart had been…lightened, somehow. It was no wonder, though. Seto was playing his mother's favorite song, an adaptation of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, a special version specifically written for the violin.

Seto finished the piece and, with a quiet sigh, put down the violin and packed it away carefully in its case. He returned it to the exact spot it had been before he had picked it up. Maybe he'd take up the violin again, when things had calmed down a bit and he had some free time. _As if I have free time._ Maybe he'd _make_ some free time. _Mokuba would be happy. He loved listening me play the violin._ Seto replaced the cast on his arm, making a face at the unwanted weight and heat it added to his poor, unbroken hand, turned off the lights, and exited the classroom, heading out of the building just before the custodian locked the doors.

**_>>>>_**

The next day, after spending grueling hours in classrooms learning about subjects that he either already knew (like in AP Trigonometry) or cared nothing about (Honors English came to mind), Seto was ready to practice on the violin again. Although Chloe was staying after school to work on the Torch, she was under the impression that Seto was in the library working on homework, and she echoed Seto's own workaholic personality so she wouldn't be leaving the office anytime soon.

Seto walked down the empty school halls, his boots clicking on the smooth tiled floors. Although on a normal day, there would be students still in the school, today was different. There was a party at the Talon; because Smallville was tiny (hence the name), every teenager was at it. This left Seto and Chloe as the only students at the school, and Chloe was so absorbed into working on her newspaper that there was no risk of her overhearing Seto practicing.

Seto turned at the end of the hall towards the left, heading towards the music room. He had his hand on the doorknob when shadows crept over his arms and down the back of his neck, making him stop. A second later, a high-pitched female scream sounded in Seto's ears, making him jump into action. He ran down the hall, retracing his path back to the Torch office. There were no other students in the school, so it was safe to assume that it was Chloe that had screamed. His left hand found his Deck in his leather jacket pocket and he clutched it, preparing for the worst. The Rod pulsed against his back as he neared the Torch. The door was half off its hinges, and it looked like it had been clawed down. Menacing growls came from inside the Torch and Seto rushed in.

The Torch office was in shambles. Papers littered the floor and chairs were overturned every which way. Drawers had been clawed and chewed up before they were spat onto the floor. Chloe was crouched under a desk while the Duel Monster, a Turtle Tiger, tried to claw at her.

_Turtle Tiger. An Aqua monster. Attack 1000, Defense 1500. Not an incredibly strong monster, but more powerful than the ones before. This definitely confirms that the rogue Duelist is gaining power._

"Ryuujin!" Chloe cried.

The Turtle Tiger, sensing new prey, turning around, its red eyes glaring at Seto. Seto let go of his Deck and reached into his boot, drawing the knife he had taken from Marley. The Turtle Tiger growled and tensed like a coiled spring.

"Ryuujin, are you nuts? That Tiger…thing weighs at least 500 pounds! And it's one of those whatchamacallits, those Duel Monsters! It'll turn you into bloody chunks!" Chloe cried.

The Turtle Tiger's tail swished and Seto swore it smiled.

"Ryuujin, do y'hear me? Run!"

"Sullivan, if I ran, who would save you?"

"I'll find some way! Just go!"

The Turtle Tiger sprang at Seto, claws outstretched and deadly. Seto dodged the attack and the Turtle Tiger crashed through what was left of the door and rolled into the hallway, howling. Seto ran over to where Chloe was hiding and grabbed her hand, pulling her out from under the desk. He let go of her and picked up a nearby chair, chucking it through a window and shattering the glass.

"Get out!" he ordered her. "Before it comes back!"

"And leave you here?"

"I can handle it! Just go!"

"Hell no, Ryuujin!"

"Just-damn it," Seto swore as the Turtle Tiger's growls made themselves apparent to the two and Seto turned around. "Sullivan, just go."

"No,"

"You idio-" Seto choked on his words as the Turtle Tiger suddenly attacked. Seto found himself with 500 pounds of snarling muscle on top of him. As large fangs headed towards his face, he raised his casted arm. The Duel Monster whined when it bit the foreign substance and started back, giving Seto the edge he needed. He was glad he hadn't dropped the knife when the Tiger had attacked him. Seto grasped the knife tightly and stabbed it in the neck. Purple shadows bled from the wound and the Tiger shrieked, jumping off of Seto. It stumbled for a few steps and its gaze widened as it spotted Chloe, paralyzed by the broken window. Before Seto could move, it leapt towards her. Chloe shrieked and threw herself to the floor, covering her head. Half a foot from reaching Chloe, the Tiger suddenly hit a shimmering, golden transparent wall in front of the girl and fell to the ground. Golden engravings of _ankh _and _sa_ glowed on Chloe's forehead and Seto smirked.

_So my protection spell worked after all._

While the Turtle Tiger was still recovering from the backlash of the spell, Seto ran over and stabbed it in the back of the neck. More purple shadows leaked out of the wound and the Tiger went limp and dissolved into shadows.

Seto let out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding and walked over to Chloe.

"You alright?" he asked.

Chloe looked at him, her mouth wide open and gazed around the almost demolished room, and then down to the knife Seto held.

"You carry a knife around with you?" she finally asked.

"Yes."

She fell silent for a while, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. She swallowed audibly. "What the hell was that…that…that thing?"

"A Duel Monster, like you said."

Chloe waved that away. "But, your Kuriboh-"

"Not all Duel Monsters are benevolent."

"…Well, duh."

Silence reigned again.

Chloe opened her mouth. "Now, why-"

She was interrupted by rumbling sounds coming towards the office.

"What's that?"

"That would be more Duel Monsters," Seto said.

"I thought so. How many?" Chloe asked in an admirably calm voice.

Seto listened for a moment as the rumbling got louder. "Three, I think. They'll be here in five seconds."

"Window?"

"You go. I'll distract them."

"Ryuujin-"

"Do you want me to toss you out?" He whirled on her and gave her his best glare. "I can take care of them. You'll only distract me and get me killed. Now _GO_!"

In half a second Chloe was out the window, hissing as she cut her palm on broken glass. Seto put away the knife and drew out his Deck. _Three monsters. I have to Summon _three_ monsters. Let's hope this works._ Seto then remembered his exhaustion after he had given Marley the nightmare. _If I do Summon, this room will need a construction worker, and I'll need a mortician._

His cards pulsed in rhythm to his heart and Seto selected the top three cards as Blindly Loyal Goblin, Mad Sword Beast, and Lizard Soldier burst in through the door.

_Blindly Loyal Goblin. Attack 1800, Defense 1500. Warrior/Effect Monster. As long as it remains on the field face up, it cannot be controlled by an opponent. Don't worry, I'm not planning to do that. That's Bakura's specialty. Mad Sword Beast. Attack 1400, Defense 1200. Dinosaur/Effect monster. When it attacks an opponent's monster with an attack stronger than the opponent's defense points, then the difference is taken away from the opponent's Life Points. Lizard Soldier. Attack 1100, Defense 800. A Dragon monster. Hn._ Seto took a deep breath and cried, "I Summon Hyozanryu, Kaiser Sea Horse, and Element Dragon in attack mode!"

Seto's breath went out of his body in a rush as adrenaline filled his veins, as if he were experiancing the same rush he felt when he flew a jet for the first time. Fire poured in through him, coursing with his blood, pounding in time with his pulse. Oxygen returned to his lungs all at once, and he gasped and clenched his hands, trying to keep that beautiful rush, that _power_, under control. It was as if after takeoff, he'd jumped out of the jet without a parachute and learned to fly. _Is this what Yugi and Yami feel like each time they Summon?_ Seto's rational part of his brain revived and he blinked, and forced away the feeling. He instead trying to concentrate on his monster's abilities and tried to return his line of thinking to his strategy, not on the emotion he felt.

_Hyozanryu, a Dragon type monster. Attack 2100 points, Defense 2800 points. Created from a single diamond that blinds whoever looks upon it._ Indeed, it did sparkle with beautiful blue and orange hues, so bright and beautiful it hurt his eyes._ Kaiser Sea Horse, a Sea Serpent/Effect monster. Attack 1700, Defense 1650. If you want to Tribute Summon a Light monster, this can be used as one of the sacrifices. Element Dragon, a Dragon/Effect monster. Attack 1500, Defense 1200. If there are Fire monsters on the field, its Attack power is raised 500 points. If a Wind monster is on the field, when it destroys an opponent's monster, it can attack again_. A roaring sound filled his ears and the Rod warmed his back as his Monsters materialized, auras filled with purple shadows. That was the only color he could see as the adrenaline left his body and the world went gray. Seto felt cold filter in through his body, contrasting oddly with the burning heat from his back and hands. His Monsters crouched and then sprang forward and attacked the Rogue Duelist's opponents. Seto's hands twitched as the weapon from his Kaiser Sea Horse raked the Mad Sword Beast in half. His jaw clenched as Hyozanryu tore the Blindly Loyal Goblin's throat. He exhaled as his Element Dragon burnt the Lizard Soldier to ashes. One by one, the Rogue Duelist's monsters vanished in wisps of purple shadows.

Seto's eyes swam as his three Monsters turned towards him, and his dragons whined in his head.

"Ariagatou," he croaked, and waved his hand, dismissing the monsters. They too vanished and Seto replaced his Deck in his pocket. His body swayed and fatigue filled his limbs. _Definately need a mortician._ He put his hand out on a desk to try and steady himself, and then collapsed in one of the nearby chairs that hadn't been destroyed in the fight. He closed his eyes and holding his head in his hands. _Just keep breathing. You keep breathing; you'll get enough oxygen to convert into…um…whatever those abbreviations are and the thing that oxygen is converted into will give you enough energy to stand. Once you can stand, you can walk. Once you can walk, you can get out of here and go to the room you're staying in and fall into bed and sleep until you feel like crawling out of bed to face whatever disasters come next._

"Kaiba-kun!" a soft voice filtered through the buzz in his ears.

_Maybe if I ignore them, they'll go away…_

"Kaiba-kun, we've got to get out of here. Someone heard the noise and called the police. We have to go before you have to explain-"

Seto used the remainder of his energy to raise his head. A blur of white met his eyes. "Who are you?" he asked hoarsely.

The white-thing bent down and grabbed one of Seto's arms, hoisting it across their shoulder and helping Seto stand. "Come on, Kaiba-kun, I'll drive you home."

As Seto stumbled out of the office, the white-thing asked him, "How many Monsters did you Summon?"

_How many? Um, I Summoned Hyozanryu, Element Dragon, and Kaiser Sea Horse. That would make three._ "Three."

"Was this your first time?"

_Was it? I remember…so long ago, but which life was that? Maybe it was the Other one. Is this the first time I Summoned now, in This life? Maybe…I think so._ "Yes."

"Three Monsters at the first time? You're not even supposed to Summon one without help!"

They reached the end of the hall and the white-haired boy helped Seto navigate the stairs. With a feeling of triumph, Seto realized who this stranger was. _Ryou. This is Ryou._ "I don't need a lecture right now, Ryou."

"But really, Kaiba-kun, it's dangerous."

"Would you rather have me be chopped liver?"

"Your _soul_ is chopped liver right now. It's so faded I can see through it!" They reached Ryou's car and Ryou opened the passenger door and Seto managed to muster enough strength to get inside the car without Ryou's assistance. Ryou climbed into the driver's seat and started the car. "I'll take you to my house. I can restore you there without being interrupted and there won't be questions from other people. Was anyone else with you?"

"Sullivan, but I made her get out before the three monsters attacked. She may have been watching in through the window though. I didn't have time to turn around and check."

"Well, if she saw you Summon, then she will have to ask you about it tomorrow."

"Ryou, I am not staying at your house!"

"Yes you are! Summoning is dangerous, Kaiba-kun! No matter how much magic a Duelist has, Summoning for the first time, especially Summoning three monsters for the first time, can kill you! You temporarily form a bond with the Shadow Realm and those monsters that you Summon!"

_So that's why I felt hot and cold._

"If you don't regain all the energy you lost, you could very well get ill and die! In order to regain the energy, you need to eat something and then get plenty of bed rest, and that's just for one Summoning. For three, you have to borrow some energy from another source, like a Sennen Item. You don't know how to do that, do you?"

"No." Seto's eyes were drifting shut when his shoulder was shaken, jerking him awake.

"You can't fall asleep before you regain some energy, Kaiba-kun! It's like falling asleep when you have a major concussion!"

_Right, fall asleep and you might never wake up. Okay, Seto, you gotta stay awake._ "All right." Against his will, Seto found his eyes drifting shut again. He shook his head furiously, trying to wake himself up. "Ryou, talk to me. Keep me awake with your idiotic prattling."

"Anou, what do you want me to talk about?"

"Anything!" Seto snapped.

"Anou, well, anou…Papa told me something weird is happening in the caves…"

"What?"

"Well, Papa said that these drawings on the walls changed."

_Just…stay…awake._ "Changed?"

"Yeah. Like the patterns suddenly switched and symbols that were on the bottom of a wall moved to the top. He's spending all his time there now, trying to figure out how that occurred."

"Tell me about these drawings."

"Well, they-ah we're here." Ryou stopped the car and Seto managed to get out of the vehicle, but took one step and had to lock his knees to keep from collapsing. Ryou was suddenly by his side; his arm under Seto's, giving the CEO stability. Together they walked into Ryou's home and Seto crumbled onto the couch.

"Okay, I'm going to use the Ring to restore your energy." Ryou took Seto's hands and drew designs that flared into gold, making Seto's palms tingle. The Ring around Ryou's neck glowed and Seto felt energy seeping back into his bones. His headache faded to a minute throbbing and he was able to open his eyes all the way and sit up straight. He was still tired, but it felt more like how he felt after an exhausting workout, not like he'd just been through a day-long battle.

"You should sleep now. When you wake up, you should eat," Ryou said.

At the mention of sleep, Seto felt his eyelids flutter against his will. "I can't stay here."

"Kaiba, if you try to go to your house now, you will not make it before falling asleep. It is safer for you to stay here."

"But-"

"I'll call the Sullivans to tell them that you're here."

"That's not-"

"Papa won't mind either."

"Ryou-" Seto sat up and glared at the white-haired teen.

"What! What other objections can you possibly have?"

"I-I-" Seto bit the inside of his mouth before telling the truth. "I don't want to be in anyone's debt any longer."

Ryou blinked. "Kaiba-kun, you are not in my debt. I want to help you stop this rogue Duelist, and that includes making sure that you are healthy enough to help defeat her."

Seto closed his eyes and sighed in frustration. _God damn it, I just can't do this._

"Well, since it's settled, go to sleep." Ryou beamed at the CEO and left. Seeing that he had little say in the matter, Seto lay back on the couch and let his muscles relax as he fell asleep.

It was the distant trill of a ringing phone that called him back to consciousness. Seto lay on the couch for a moment and kept his eyes closed, concentrating, trying to force the fuzziness from his mind. _Not my cell ring, so it must be the house phone. I wonder if Ryou's father is home yet? How did Ryou explain? Does his father even know about Bakura and Egypt?_

"Moshi moshi," He heard Ryou chirp. "Ah, hello Chloe-san!...Hai, hai, Ryuujin-kun is here…Hai, he's all right…Maa maa, calm down, Chloe-san, you're giving me an earache!...He did what?...well, that explains the broken window…Are you all right?...Good…He's sleeping right now…I think he may spend the night here, if that is all right with you…" Seto heard Ryou laugh. "No, it's all right, I'm used to him…You just can't let him get to you like that, Chloe-san. He's like that to everyone except his brother….No, it's not because you're an American, you should see how he is at home! How do I know him? We met during a Duel Monster's tournament, and my friends know him and it's a very long story, Chloe-san. A very long story….Yes, I'll make sure he gets to school on time, although I doubt I'll need to…Hai…Hai…Hai, Chloe-san…Sayonara." Seto heard the faint clunk as Ryou hung up the phone and the rustle of cloth and soft footsteps came towards him. It was then that Seto opened his eyes.

"Ah, Kaiba-kun, you're awake!" Ryou smiled.

Seto narrowed his eyes. Ryou was entirely too cheerful. Ryou saw this, but paid no attention to it. _Damn._ Maybe he was losing his touch, or maybe Ryou was too used to his yami. To make sure, Seto would test his glare on Kent tomorrow. "How long was I asleep?"

"A little over three hours. You needed it. You look better now."

"Hn," Seto sat up and was relieved to see that the room did not spin. "Chloe was on the phone?"

"Hai! She was concerned. She said you stabbed the Turtle Tiger and then almost tossed her out of the window. It was her who called the police, I think. You are staying overnight, aren't you?"

Seto rolled his eyes. "It seems I have little choice." He looked around the living room, empty except for him and Ryou. _Hm. Interesting. Is his father even home?_ "What did you say to your father?"

"Anou…he's not here right now."

_I guess not._ Seto arched an eyebrow and glanced at his watch. It was almost eight o' clock, and even Sullivan Gabe would be home by now. "He works late. Is he still studying that cave?"

"Hai. Are you hungry? I can make some dinner."

"Nonsense. I'll make something." Seto stood up and faced down Ryou.

"D-demo, Kaiba-kun-"

Seto glared and Ryou shut up. Seto smirked and walked past Ryou and into the kitchen. It was a nice kitchen, with a tiled floor and cream-colored walls with and dusky orange border. It had a large black gas stove against the wall with the refrigerator next to it and a built in oven across from it. Above the oven and around the kitchen were cupboards.

Seto opened the refrigerator and immediately saw potential ingredients. There were peppers, and some chicken breasts, and green beans. He took these out and handed the vegetables to Ryou. "Cut these. Take the ends off of the beans and slice up the peppers in long stripes." Seto then went to the cupboards and saw that some of them served as a pantry. Inside he found onions, some garlic, packaged breadcrumbs, and dried rosemary. He took these out and after ordering Ryou to deal with the onion, started to clean the chicken breasts.

After that was done he crushed the garlic and took out a frying pan and battered the chicken in the breadcrumbs and tossed the chicken in the pan along with the rosemary and crushed garlic. While the chicken cooked, he took some more pans and cooked the beans with some of the breadcrumbs and garlic in one pan and the peppers and onions in the other and cooked them in some minced garlic he found in the Bakuras fridge. He ignored Ryou as the white-haired teen washed his face in the kitchen sink to wash away the tears he had cried while chopping the onions. Soon the impromptu dinner was ready and Ryou set the table while Seto finished cooking and scooped an even amount on the plates, leaving some left over for whenever Ryou's father returned.

"This is great, Kaiba-kun. I never knew you could cook!" Ryou beamed as he ate.

Seto shrugged. It had been simple to make.

"Do you cook at home?"

Seto nodded.

Ryou's questions faded and they finished their meal in silence. When they were through, Seto cleared the dishes and Ryou offered to wash them.

"It's a rule in the house. One person cooks, the other cleans." Seto then heard Ryou mutter underneath his breath. "When's there's more than one person home, I mean."

_I had the same rule when my parents were alive, although usually they would help me do the dishes; I was too small to be entirely reliable then. _

"Hey, I know there's a good American film on TV right now. You want to watch it?" Ryou asked as he finished the last of the dishes.

Seto shrugged indifferently, and followed Ryou back into the living room where they spent the rest of the evening watching the movie.

**

* * *

Glossary:**

_Anou:_ um

_Ariagatou: _Thank you

_Demo:_ but

_Hai:_ yes

_Sayonara:_ Good-bye

**

* * *

Just some final notes:**

What, Chloe got buried alive? Yeah, she did. In the first or second season, and Lana did too for that matter. Guess who they were rescued by? Clark Kent. Amazing they didn't show the hours of therapy the girls had to go through. It would have added so much more depth to the show, but no, they wanted to see more of Tom Welling (the actor/supermodel that plays Clark Kent on Smallville). Smallville is SUCH a soap opera.

The Bataan Death March: A true event during World War II. Japanese troops forced American and Filipino POWs to march for a hundred miles from one detainment camp to another. They did not give the POWs any food or water or even shade. The POWs, who were undernourished in the first place, dropped like flies. Those that survived, well, the Japanese during WWII were not very honorable or nice people. When Marley tells Seto about his grandfather witnessing his comrades being buried alive, I actually took this from an actual account of a POW named Lieutenant John Spainhower who was part of the Philippine Scout Battalion, who the Japanese hated. Spainhower then watched the Japanese force the six Scouts in his battalion to dig their own graves, stun them, and then bury them alive. And you wonder why Marley is so hateful and bitter?

Ryou's shiny Sennen Ring and Seto's Sennen Rod with their awesome unexplored powers: Yeah, so I took a few liberties with the Sennen Items. I figured that all of them can restore energy, Summon things, etc., but they should all have their own unique powers. Ryou's Ring (and Yami's Puzzle) can heal, Seto's can destroy things and read Shadow magic signatures (like which Duel Monsters were Summoned and when) and read minds. I may even add more later, because I'm such a crazy fanfic authoress.

The Nagasaki incident: based on a true story (no joke). One of my friends was talking with a snarky teacher and one of the geeks at the school and my frienddidn't know what Nagasaki was and asked about it. The teacher replied that it was a "great vacation spot", and I've wanted to do a scene on it since.

Chloe's protection spell: Remember back a chapter or two when Chloe called Bakura a "little white rat" and Bakura vowed revenge? Seto took it seriously and casted a protection spell on Chloe. It's not an extremely powerful one, but it's powerful enough to defend against minor Sennen Item attacks and attacks by(up to) five star monsters.

The abbreviations Seto was trying to think of after he dismissed his monsters was ATP, which uses oxygen to convert into energy.

Seto's reluctance to accept any help: It's hit with you with a mallet in the dubbed, and more subtle in the subbed, but Seto likes his independence. I think that this stems from a variety of sources. One goes back to Seto's training. He had to be completely independent and if he had help, it probably came with a large amount of strings attached, and plus it included the fact that you were indebted to someone. For a person like Seto, who has to be on top ALL the time, being indebted to anyone is inconceivable. Also, during the Doom arc, when Seto gets attacked by the unstoppable Oricalchos monster, he has the difference of attack points between his monster and the Oricalchos monster converted into Life Points that are transported to Yami. This trick is done with a card called "Death Hope". When Seto collapses into Yami's arms (and the fangirl in my squealed) he says to Yami. "I have paid back my debt to you. Take revenge for me." He's probably thinking about all the times Yami has saved him and Mokuba.


	8. Unanswered Questions and Creeping Shadow

**

* * *

A/N: As always:**

_italics_ means thoughts

_>>>>_ means scene change

**

* * *

**

Chapter 7: Unanswered Questions and Creeping Shadows

When Seto woke, he knew that it wasn't only from the painful crick in his neck or the fact that his Sennen Rod was digging into his back. From all of his years with Gozaburo and then afterwards, he'd almost always awakened when there had been a presence nearby (assuming that he was in full health _and_ not drugged). Of course, there were those incidents when he'd fallen asleep on top of his laptop and Mokuba had dragged him home and then the next morning awakened him with one of those emergency sirens….but that was another story.

Seto opened his eyes and lifted his head from its painful position on his neck. He'd fallen asleep on the couch. Ryou's couch. He'd fallen asleep on a couch owned by someone he'd barely known a month ago in an unfamiliar home and now there was someone standing to his right that-Seto looked to his right-he also didn't know. Seto straightened and shrugged the blanket someone had covered him up with (Seto assumed that had been Ryou's doing) and gazed at the man in front of him.

He was tall, a couple of inches shorter than Seto, and had long black hair tied into a ponytail, brown eyes, and tanned skin. His face was long, like Ryou's, and he had Ryou's chin. Seto could recognize it, even though it was covered in black stubble.

"Good morning," the man said cheerfully.

"Are you Bakura-san?" Seto asked.

The man nodded. "You must be a friend of Ryou's. What is your name?"

"Ryuujin Seto."

"You are Japanese?"

"Yes."

"Where do you live in Japan?"

"Domino City."

"Oh, do you know my son from there?" Bakura-san glanced to Seto's left and Seto saw that Ryou, too, had fallen asleep on the couch, and was also covered in a blanket. Then that meant that Ryou hadn't been the one to cover Seto with a blanket, because now that Seto could remember, he knew that Ryou had fallen asleep before he had.

"Not very well." He lifted up the blanket and raised an eyebrow at Bakura-san.

Bakura-san laughed. "You two looked a little chilly last night. I thought it peculiar that my son had invited you over, since he never has had any of his friends over before."

_And how would you know that, Bakura-san, since, according to Ryou, you're never home long enough to get to know him?_ Seto immediately dismissed the thought and stood, straightening his slightly rumpled clothes and looked at his watch. 6:30. School started at 8:00. Plenty of time to get ready…if he had any of his things.

"Ah, Ryou left a note, saying that you had school today. We have extra toothbrushes in the right drawer in the bathroom, and you can use the shower. Do you have an extra set of clothing?"

"No."

"Hm," Bakura-san frowned. "I doubt Ryou has any clothes that could fit you, and since you're taller than me, I doubt I have any either. I hope you don't mind wearing the same clothes."

"No. I'm going to take a shower." Seto turned his back on Bakura-san and started to head for the bathroom when Bakura-san's voice made him pause.

"No problem. The hair dryer's under the sink if you want to wash your hair."

"…Sure."

As Seto shut the bathroom door behind him, he heard Bakura-san mutter, "Cold as ice, that boy."

Seto smirked and started the shower.

_>>>>_

When he finished and took his clothes off the hanger off the door (he'd used the steam from his shower to steam press his clothes so they looked less rumpled) he dressed and exited the bathroom, passing a yawning Ryou as the white-haired teen headed towards it.

"Mornin'," Ryou sleepily greeted Seto as he went past.

"Hn," Seto acknowledged and blinked as his nose alerted him to the smell of eggs and cooking vegetables. He entered to find Bakura-san at the stove, making a scramble.

"You like mushrooms and red peppers, I hope?" Bakura-san asked.

Seto nodded.

"And you're not lactose intolerant?"

Seto shook his head.

"Oh, and Ryou explained everything to me," Bakura-san added.

Seto's head shot up_. I thought Bakura-san didn't know about magic and Ryou's yami._ "And he said …"Seto let the sentence hang in the air.

"That the reason you slept over without an extra change of clothes and why he didn't tell me beforehand was because it was last minute. You guys met up and came back here and by the time you realized how late it was getting, it was too late for you to come back home so you spent the night."

"Ah, yes, that." His dragons chuckled at him and Seto mentally scowled at them. _So maybe I don't give Ryou enough credit, there's no reason to laugh at me about it. _That only made his dragons laugh harder and Seto's scowl deepened. _Urusai._ Thankfully, his dragons obeyed, but that was only because they had little breath left to laugh with.

Bakura-san suddenly set a small plate down in front of him with a small mountain of the scramble on it. "Breakfast is ready!" he cheerfully announced, placing a small glass of orange juice at Seto's right and giving him a knife and fork.

"Thank you," Seto said, and ate.

Just as Seto was finishing, Ryou walked in, looking a bit more awake than he had earlier.

"Orange juice?" Bakura-san asked.

"Coffee," Ryou answered. Bakura-san laughed and poured him a cup. Ryou took it and gulped some down. He sat down at the table and eagerly started on the scramble Bakura-san served for him, gazing at Seto with one eye.

"What?" Seto asked.

"Nothing, just thought you'd be drinking coffee too," Ryou answered.

"I didn't feel like it," Seto answered, finishing the last of his orange juice. Seto was an admitted coffee addict, and not having any coffee this morning would probably give him a mild headache, but he still felt a bit off from the Summoning (even with Ryou's magical energy boost) and decided that he needed the Vitamin C more than the caffeine boost. Seto got up, just as Bakura-san sat down with his own plate of scrambled eggs.

"I have to get to work early, so I'll be driving you to school. I hope you don't mind getting there a little early."

"Not at all," Seto answered, and left the kitchen to go brush his teeth.

_>>>>_

He and Bakura-san were just about to leave when the phone rang. Ryou answered and said a few words, then hung up.

"That was Chloe. She just wanted to remind you that she's bringing your backpack to school today, so you don't need to stop at the house to get it."

"Good, that makes taking you to school much easier for me," Bakura-san grinned. "See you tonight, Ryou?"

"How late, tonight?" Ryou asked, his face carefully expressionless.

The grin on Bakura-san's face faded a bit. "I'm not sure, Ryou."

Ryou didn't even sigh in disappointment; he just nodded and then directed his attention to Seto. "Bye, Ryuujin-kun. I'll see you later?"

Seto nodded and got into Bakura-san's car.

_>>>>_

"Well, here it is! Have a nice day, Ryuujin."

Seto got out of the car but hesitated, as he was about to close the door. He bit his lip, unsure of what to say. Finally, he settled for the frank truth. "I don't understand you, Bakura-san."

Bakura-san blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Back in Domino, I heard from Ryou's friends that he lives alone in that apartment you rent for him. And, also from what I heard, you rarely call or write, and you visit once in a blue moon."

Bakura-san's eyes glittered coldly. "That's none of your business, Ryuujin."

"No, it's not. But from also what I found out, you used to have a wife and daughter-"

"Ryuujin, you have no right-" Bakura-san started to hiss.

"-And now you act as if you have no son, either. Didn't life teach you anything, Bakura-san? Didn't it teach you to hold onto what you have, instead of sinking into the past and causing your loved ones pain?" Seto closed his eyes. Damn it, this was too personal. "This is what I don't understand, Bakura-san. Maybe someday, you can explain it to me." With that, Seto shut the door and walked up the steps and into the school, trying not to think about his own father.

_>>>>_

"Thought I'd find you here," Chloe's voice rang in his ears. He'd known she was coming long before she had spoken, but hadn't acknowledged her.

"Hn."

She dropped his backpack on the wooden table he was sitting at with a loud thump.

"This is a library, you're supposed to be quiet," Seto said as he turned another page of the book he was reading.

"Tell that to them," Chloe jerked her head over her shoulder to the other occupants of the library, most of the high school. The library was far from peaceful, with students trying to get last night's homework done, finish their essays, or just plain chat.

"Hn."

"And good morning to you too," Chloe scoffed and sat down across from Seto. "So, you gonna tell me how you managed to get past those three Duel Monsters or am I going to have to hurt you?"

"As if you could hurt me."

Chloe eyed him skeptically. "It doesn't seem those monsters managed to. How did you get out of it?"

"Same way anyone would have. I used my wits, and then got out of there and met up with Bakura."

"That little white rat? I'm surprised he allowed you in his presence, but then again, birds of a feather flock together."

"Did you have espresso today? Because you seem oddly energized."

As he gazed at her over the pages of his book, he saw a Cheshire cat grin form on Chloe's face. "Just saw Clark get it from Lana after he stood her up. Again. Not romantically, of course, because she's dating Jason, you know. ThenClark makes a smart remark to herthis morning and she slapped him, the poor bastard."

"Slapped him?" _That must have been some remark, because Lang the Pacifist would rather use words than actions._

"Yeah. She's a little pissed today, for some reason, so I wanted to tell you not to get on her nerves, or you might find yourself gazing at the ceiling. She may not look it, but she packs a powerful punch."

Seto arched an eyebrow. "Sounds like you speak from experience."

"Yeah. Last year, a wacko was sending around email messages that hypnotized people to try to kill me. Lana got one, and boy, I was in for the fight of my life."

This time, Seto looked directly at her. "Subliminally suggestive emails that turned people homicidal? Does this thing happen often in this town? Weirdness going on, people regularly trying to kill each other?"

"Yep."

"Strange thing though. Hypnotherapy is not supposed to make a person commit atrocities or carry out crimes that they're morally against. So if they really didn't want to kill you, some text on a computer screen is not going to change that."

Chloe's glare could have frozen a bonfire. "What the hell are you suggesting, Ryuujin?"

"That every one of us, if pushed, is capable of murdering the ones they love most."

"'Sounds like you speak from experience'," Chloe quoted Seto's previous words.

"I've seen things that would have you screaming in your sleep for the rest of your life, Sullivan."

Chloe's eyes flashed. "Like Duel Monsters come to life?"

Seto snorted and went back to reading. "More than that."

"Human turned giant mutant bug intent on having sex and then killing your best friend?"

Seto raised an eyebrow. "As enlightening as that was, yes, I've seen worse, and no, I'm not going to join the contest." As an afterthought, he added, "Giant mutant bugs? And I thought Domino was weird."

There was a moment of silence before Chloe spoke again. "Ryuujin, when that Turtle-whatever attacked me, it was blocked by a shining wall of some sort. Did you somehow do that?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Why wouldn't I? Ryuujin, I want to know what the hell is going on."

"And you are assuming that I know?"

"You seem to be in the middle of things."

"Now how did you come to that conclusion? As I remember, you were the one being attacked." _Which is strange. Even though the girl has Shadow magic, it hasn't surfaced yet. If anything, the Turtle Tiger should have singled me out first. Which means that Chloe was a target, just like Luthor Lex was. And Luthor's company. If the rogue Duelist is after Luthor, than why is she attacking Chloe? What did Chloe do? Is it because she associates frequently with Luthor? If so, then not only is she in danger, than Kent, Lang, and every other person Luthor has met frequently is in danger. And yet, nothing has happened, except for the security guards. And that was because they got between the Duel Monster and its target._ _No. There is some other connection between Luthor and Chloe. _"Sullivan, do you know any reason why someone would want to kill you?"

Chloe blinked. "Um, the last time someone wanted to kill me for something other than what happened during that fiasco with Lex, was Lionel Luthor for testifying against him in court. He tried to blow me and my dad up."

"Oh?" _And what's this fiasco with Lex Luthor?_

"The FBI moved us to a safe house under the witness protection program, but Lionel Luthor somehow got the info and planted a bomb. The agents shoved us down into a secret panel in the floor and Dad and I made it out."

Seto got the unsaid message that the agents didn't. "You said you testified against him. Who got him arrested?"

"Lex Luthor."

"Did Luthor Lionel do anything to him?"

"He poisoned him."

"No love lost, hm?"

"They are _the_ definition of family rivalry and dysfunction. Lex Luthor has been trying to put his father away for a long time. It's even rumored that the time that Lex spent in the asylum due to a supposed mental breakdown was arranged by Lionel Luthor because Lex found out his dirty little secret."

"And you know this dirty little secret?"

"Yeah, I had it on my voicemail. He hired a mobster to kill his parents."

"Hn."

Chloe eyed him. "And you didn't even blink."

The ten minute warning bell rang and Chloe got up, and so did Seto, a few seconds behind her. They walked out of the library and headed for their lockers. As they gathered their things and headed towards History, Chloe said to Seto,

"Oh, I forgot to tell you! You can get your cast off today!"

That was the best news Seto had heard all day.

_>>>>_

Dr. Walsh unstrapped the Velcro strips that kept Seto's cast on and inspected his hand.

"Form a fist." Walsh commanded.

Seto did so.

"No pain?"

"None."

Dr. Walsh grasped Seto's hand, gently bending the fingers back and forth, testing the joints and bones. "You seem to be healed just fine. I'll take a look at your X-Rays to make sure, but you don't need to wear that cast anymore." Walters left the office to retrieve the X-Rays.

"Good," Seto muttered.

Chloe laughed. "Aw, you poor wittle baby."

Seto glared at her. "You try typing with one hand for two weeks."

Chloe stuck out her tongue at him.

"And now you're acting like my twelve-year-old brother," Seto muttered.

Chloe stuck her back into her mouth and gave him a 'who me?' look. Seto rolled his eyes.

"Mokuba can do that a thousand times better than you."

"If he managed to win over an icicle like you, then yeah, I bet he can," Chloe grumbled. "Did you have your sense of humor surgically removed, too, or were you born without it?"

Seto looked down at his healed hand, refusing to reply to Chloe. He looked back up and asked, "This morning, when you mentioned the 'fiasco' with Luthor Lex, what did you mean?"

Chloe rubbed her face tiredly. "Oh man, what a mess that was. You really want to know?"

"If I didn't, would I ask?"

"Shut up. Okay, here's the story. Lex was experimenting with a certain type of meteor rock that helped any crop grow in the harshest of environments with little water, but it also made the fruit taste rotten because not only did they destroy the genes that made the fruit weak, they destroyed the ones that made it taste good."

"Let me guess. One dark, stormy night he and his team of experts tried to fix it and something terrible happened."

"First of all, it was bright daylight, and second, there was only one other guy working on it."

Seto blinked. "Well that's just stupid. You need more than one scientist working on an experiment, not only so you can do more, but so you have different people coming up with different ideas."

"Hey, talk to Lex if you want to criticize how he works, but LuthorCorp experiments never turn out well."

"LexCorp," Seto corrected.

"Any corporation run by a Luthor," Chloe amended. "Anyways-"

She was interrupted by Dr. Walsh, who came back in with Seto's X-Rays. "Well, your metacarpal bones seemed to have completely healed. You can go now."

"Good." Seto got down from the counter and, rolling down his shirt sleeve, grabbed his jacket and left, Chloe following behind him.

"Thanks doctor!" Chloe called behind her.

"Your welcome!" Dr. Walsh answered.

"You could have said thank you," Chloe nudged Seto.

"Hn. You were saying about the experiment?"

"Right. Well, an explosion happened and when the dust cleared, there were two copies of Lex."

Seto raised an eyebrow as they exited the hospital and went down to the parking lot. "Two?"

"Yeah, like Ying and Yang. One good and one evil."

Seto snorted. "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard."

"Hey, it happened. And Lana, Clark, and I almost died because of it. The evil Lex did kill the doctor who was the witness to the entire thing, but the doctor had to be hospitalized because he had gotten hurt in the explosion. If there had been a whole team of scientists, they all might have been killed by the evil Lex."

"Or maybe they would have come up with a different solution to the problem. Why was the other Lex trying to kill you?"

"Because we figured out his secret."

"You and Kent. But what about Lang?"

"Erm, that's sorta private."

"I see. So how did you fix the situation?"

"Actually, I didn't. Clark did."

"Ah."

"He said that he managed to create a situation where the two Lexes were fused back together. I doubt if Lex has done any more experiments since then," Chloe said as they stopped outside of the car and she unlocked it, climbing into the driver's seat.

"He shouldn't stop just because of a minor setback," Seto told her as he climbed in the passenger side and shut his door.

"Minor setback?" Chloe looked at Seto in disbelief. "Ryuujin, his Dark Side almost killed everyone, including the good part of Lex himself! Not to mention he probably caused some psychological damage to himself."

_When we play Duel Monsters, there are always lives, minds, and souls at risk, especially our own. That never means we're going to stop doing what we love._ "If you want to achieve a certain goal, you have to take certain risks."

"Including putting people's lives at stake?"

"If it cannot be avoided. Sacrifices must be made to achieve a goal."

Chloe started the car and angrily put it into gear. "You disgust me sometimes."

_>>>>_

Seto stepped into the Talon the next afternoon and sat down at a vacant table and waited. After a few moments, he smiled. There were no 'get well'-wishers or concerned students rushing over to crowd his space. They had dwindled over time, but he had still been caught off-guard from time to time by the occasional student. _I guess since dangerous events happen regularly, I've finally had my fifteen minutes of fame in Smallville. And what a long, torturous fifteen minutes it was._ When he'd been at Domino High, he'd ignored the students and they'd stayed away from him, too wary of his reputation. During these last two weeks, he'd desperately been tempted to do something to get his reputation established with Smallville High, but had held back only because of the fact he needed to keep a low profile.

A waitress came over and he ordered his usual drink and set to work. He'd been at it for a few minutes when he felt someone approach him from behind. He frowned as the long tendrils of Shadow magic snaked up his spine and turned to see Luthor standing behind him.

"Working on your specs for your Computer class?" Luthor asked, sitting down at Seto's table.

Seto arched an eyebrow at Luthor inviting himself to sit at Seto's table and glanced at his computer screen. He had actually been working on his designs for his new invention to try and improve it and make it run more smoothly, but Luthor didn't need to know that. "Yes." As a precaution, he minimized the window and simultaneously opened the computer class specs that he had finished three days ago (they were due the next day).

"How is your hand?" Luthor asked with a friendly smile.

_What does he want?_ "Completely healed. I can work with both hands now."

"And it's impressive work. I managed to see some of your completed projects for your Computer class and you went far beyond the requirements. It wouldn't be a leap of faith to say that you are a genius with computers."

_Flattery will get you nowhere with me, Luthor._ The waitress placed Seto's coffee down at the table and Seto took a sip. "I am very good with computers. I have been since I was a child." _I'm feeling particularly patient at the moment, Luthor. I'll wait for you to get to the point. This may also prove to be a learning session so I can find out more about you_.

"Really? Do you have a job back in Japan?"

"Yes."

"Does it involve computers?"

"No," Seto lied.

"I see. How much does it pay?"

Seto blinked. _This is unexpected._ _He's trying to be subtle, and on a resident of this hick town, it would fly right over them. But I'm not a resident of this town, am I? _"Luthor, are you offering me a _job_?"

"As a matter of fact, I am. I can pay you much more than your old job probably does, and you can challenge yourself by being the Head of my Technical Department, after you finish high school, of course. I will even pay to move you from Japan to Metropolis. I'm surprised a company there hasn't discovered you and snatched you."

_Actually, I believe that I snatched myself. Or maybe Gozaburo did, if you want to talk technicalities. _"No, Luthor."

"What?"

"I'm refusing the job offer. I want to keep my current job." _And drive you out of business._

"But-"

"Also, I do not want to leave my brother behind." _Let's see how you recover from that._

"I can easily help pay for an apartment for two in Metropolis, as well as plane tickets and moving expenses."

Seto took a sip of his coffee and stared Luthor straight in the eye. "While your offer is very generous, I have my own reasons for wanting my current job. I also do not want to put any more pressure on my younger brother. Pressures that will occur if I move to the United States. Japan is his home, as well as mine."

Luthor sighed. "I suppose health benefits mean nothing to you."

_So the man knows he has been beaten, and he still has his sense of humor? How…innocent._ "None at all, Luthor." _And why hasn't he recognized me? His father did not train him as well as I thought. Perhaps he knows, and he is testing me._

"Have a good day." Luthor nodded at Seto as he stood. Seto did not return the nod, only turned his attention back to his design sketches. _Someday, I'm going to throw that moment in Luthor's face and _laugh.

_>>>>_

"Ryuujin!" An angry voice shouted through the hallway as the last bell of the day rang. Seto turned to see Kent marching furiously towards him. His body tensed as Kent came closer and he neatly dodged Kent's fist that was headed towards his jaw.

"What the hell did I do to you?" Seto asked as he walked backwards and tilted to the left and right, dodging Kent's blows. Students gasped and scurried out of Seto's way as he continued backwards.

"You have done nothing but been completely hostile to me, Lana, and Chloe ever since you got here!" Kent shouted.

"Now who's being hostile?" Seto shot back. The Rod was shouting at him, begging him to use it to attack, but with an act of will, Seto ignored it. He wasn't sure if he could continue to do so for very long. Seto dropped down in a crouch and swept his leg over Kent's ankles, making the teen fall to the ground. Kent recovered faster than Seto predicted and leaped at the dragon Duelist. Seto gasped as he hit the tiled floor hard, his back and shoulders aching. He gritted his teeth as Kent pinned him down, and the Rod buried itself into the small of his back. _Use me, _it begged him._ Use me and finish him. _

_…No, I can't. Not what after happened the last time…_

_He's not human and you know it. Use me and hurt him like he's hurting you._

_…I-I-_

"Clark! What the hell are you doing?" Chloe shouted, breaking Seto's mental conversation with his Sennen Rod. She ran up to Kent and tried to pull him off of Seto, but he pushed her back. As Seto struggled to get free, Kent slammed his fist against Seto's jaw twice, making the CEO grunt as the ring on Kent's finger cut him across the chin. Each punch felt like it was done by a sledgehammer, and Seto moved with the blow so that Kent wouldn't break his jaw. Seto bit the inside of his mouth to control his breathing. _No fear, no pain, not even anger. Just give him a blank face. Just like with Gozaburo. _Pushing the pain to the back of his mind (and the furious roars of his dragons) Seto got his legs underneath Kent's chest and pushed upwards, knocking Kent off of him and to the floor. Seto got up quickly and reached for his knife, but stopped himself in time. If he drew a knife in school, he'd get expelled.

Kent rushed at him again but was stopped by Chloe, Lana, and another teen that Seto didn't recognize.

"Clark, stop it! He didn't do anything to you!" Lana shouted.

"Yes he did, the bastard! You have no idea-"

"Mr. Kent! I assume there is an explanation for your assault on another student?" a black man, Smallville High School's principal, shouted at Kent. Kent immediately stopped struggling against his restrainer's holds and crossed his arms.

"I was giving him what he deserved," Kent stated.

Seto raised an eyebrow. If he hadn't known for a fact that Kent did not have "another half" like Ryou or Yugi, he would have sworn it had emerged now.

"Clark, what the fuck is the matter with you?" Chloe shoved Kent against the wall of lockers. "Ever since last night you've been acting like a completely different person!"

"I want Kent and Ryuujin in my office. Now." The principal commanded. Then he looked at Seto and winced. "Actually, Ryuujin, why don't you head to the nurse's office first and get that cut taken care of?"

Seto shrugged, absentmindedly wiping blood off of his chin and jaw line with his thumb as he strode to the nurse's office.

_>>>>_

Seto left the principal's office to see Chloe and Lang waiting for him.

"So what happened?" Lang asked.

"Kent got suspended for the rest of today and tomorrow and I'm lucky I don't need stitches," Seto answered as they walked down the hall. _And thank the gods it won't leave a scar. I have enough of those._

"Do you have any idea why he started pummeling you like that? Not that we haven't wanted to…" Lang let herself trail off.

"I don't start fights unless I want to. And I could care less of Kent's opinion of me."

Chloe stepped in front of Seto, forcing him to stop, and glared up at him. "Would you, for _once_ in your _entire lifetime_, straightforwardly answer a goddamned question?"

"No, I don't know why he suddenly tackled me and punched me in the jaw," Seto said coolly.

"_Thank_ you." Chloe turned around and resumed walking. Seto rolled his eyes and followed her while he ignored Lang's attempts to hide her snickering.

"But really, he's had these weird mood swings before," Lang pointed out.

"Sporadic as they are," Chloe muttered. "Maybe he had a fight with his dad?"

"Doubt it. He's had fights with him before, and he's never acted like this. His mood swings just come out of thin air. Remember the last time?"

"Which time? The one where he was in a bar fight or the one where he ran away to Metropolis?" Chloe asked dryly.

"What about the one where he went all the way to Las Vegas?" Lang replied.

"Seems that the 'Boy Scout' isn't so much of a boy scout," Seto smirked.

"It's like he's under a spell, I swear. They come out of nowhere, and just as fast, they're gone." Chloe waved her hands in the air to emphasize.

Seto gave her a look. "He's a teenager. Mood swings are just as normal as acne."

"Not with Clark. He may be able to pull off being the town hero and his disappearing act, but he never truly intends to hurt someone," Lang defended.

Seto ran a finger along his cut. "Sure."

Chloe gazed at the gash. "That must really hurt. You sure it didn't need stitches?"

"_Yes,_" Seto repeated, letting a slight tone of irritation creep into his voice.

They exited the school through the double-doors and Lang spoke.

"Well, I'm off. We should all avoid Clark until he gets out of this mood of his."

"Yeah," Chloe nodded.

Seto raised an eyebrow. If any of Motou's friends were acting like this, the last thing Yugi would do was avoid them.

"We've both learned that if we're around Clark when he's like this, we just get hurt. It almost broke up all of our friendships," Chloe explained as Lang walked away and they headed towards Chloe's car.

Seto shrugged. It wasn't his problem. "Did Kent always have that ring?"

"Ring?"

"It's how he cut me. Big red stone set in silver." _And it just made my arms crawl._ Once Seto had had a chance to sit and think (while the principal had been lecturing a bored, slouched Kent) he'd realized that the reason the Rod had been so threatened was because of the stone on Kent's finger. It had almost increased Kent's sense of oddness.

"Did it say 'Smallville High' on it?"

"I was too busy being punched by it to look, Sullivan."

"Well, that's the only ring with a big red stone I know. The school had them made in our sophomore year. I managed to expose that the red stone wasn't a ruby, but red meteor rock. They had to give everyone a refund." Chloe frowned. "In fact, it was around that time that Clark first had one of those mood swings."

_Meteor rock? A variable of the same meteor rock that I blasted in my first week here? If the green meteor rock can change people into mutants, why not a red one change their emotions? Maybe it was affecting Kent._ "Did anyone else get a mood swing when they had this ring?"

Chloe shook her head. "I doubt if the ring was affecting him. If it was, why wouldn't it affect me, or Lana, or anyone else?"

"Maybe it's just his body's chemistry," Seto suggested. "Like how certain drugs cause certain side effects in different people."

"Maybe..." Chloe got a bright look in her eyes, one that made Seto almost take a half of a step back. He'd seen this look in Mokuba's eyes before, and it usually ended up having Seto to pay property damage charges. The last time, Mokuba had accidentally covered the entire chemistry lab (and his entire class) at Domino High in black soot. Mokuba had insisted that it wasn't him, although he was probably the only person in the school who knew how to make a timed cherry bomb. "Wait! Every time Clark has had one of his mood swings, he'd been wearing that ring! We've got to get it off!"

"We? What we?"

"We because you're the only one who's strong enough to stand up to him. Come on!" Chloe grabbed a surprised Seto by his sleeve and started to run, dragging him behind her. The girl was surprisingly strong for her size.

"No! Did you pay attention to what he did to me in the hallway?"

"Aw, don't tell me you're scared?"

"Not of Kent," Seto growled. The Rod warmed his back and Seto took a deep breath. An icy breeze ruffled his hair and Seto zipped up his jacket against the coming cold. _Hope I can keep my head this time._

Seto suddenly stopped. The day had suddenly turned dark, as if time had fast-forwarded to midnight. There was a strong sense of shadow magic, and Seto wasn't sure where it was coming from. Chloe paused too.

"Is it just me, or did the sun go out?" Chloe asked, chaffing her arms. "Jeez, it's freezing."

Seto eyed the curls of shadow creeping along the floor of the parking lot. "Watch yourself." _Someone has actually Summoned the Shadow Realm and trapped us in it and I didn't even notice the warning signs? _His dragons whined and Seto amended his mental scold._ Well, I noticed when it was too late to stop it._ Seto reached inside the sleeve of his jacket and drew his knife.

"Ryuujin? What is it?" Chloe asked, her voice quiet. She stepped closer to Seto.

"Something's here."

"What something?" Chloe asked, grabbing onto Seto's arm.

"Let go! I need both hands to fight!" Seto hissed_. Damn it, I don't want to reveal I have my Deck yet. But I don't even know what it is!_

Suddenly, out of the darkness, there was a burst of heat and flickering of fire to Seto's right. Seto grabbed Chloe and dodged the attack. Turning, he and Chloe faced the monster, and Chloe started back.

"What the fuck is that?" Chloe gasped.

Purple fur covered in orange flames. Three dog heads with glowing green eyes and sharp teeth. Three thin tails with a flame on each end. Purple paws half hidden in fire with claws more suited to slaughter lions. "Flame Cerberus. Attack, 2100. Defense, 1800. Known as the 'Burning Executioner'." Seto managed. _Oh shit._

"Cerberus like the three headed dog that guards the Underworld?"

"Exactly."

"Shit. Where do these things come from?" Chloe asked as she and Seto edged away from the growling canine.

"They have to be Summoned."

"Summoned? Whatever, we'll have time for questions later. Can you get rid of it or kill it or something?"

"Not very easily. The Turtle Tiger only had 1000 attack points and 1500 defense." _An aqua monster and a pyro monster in the same deck? This rogue Duelist's cards aren't balanced well._

"And this one is more than twice that."

"Yes."

The Flame Cerberus's growls got louder and Seto grabbed Chloe and flung them both down to the ground as flames flew over them. Breathing labored from fright, Chloe gripped Seto's arm painfully hard as he helped her crawl over to a nearby car and crouch behind it. Although hiding behind a car when faced with a fire-breathing dog wasn't the smartest thing to do, it was their nearest and only source of shelter that Seto could make out in the darkness. _You'd think with all the shadows around, we could hide from it, but this isn't normal darkness._

"Run?"

Seto looked around. The shadows covered everything. "Nowhere to go."

Chloe stumbled suddenly and Seto caught her before she fell, careful not to cut her with his knife. "Ryuujin, I really don't feel well," she moaned, her eyes closing as she slumped bonelessly in his arms.

_Oh fuck._ Seto suddenly remembered that those unused to the Shadow Realm (or those unprotected by a Sennen Item) even if they had Shadow magic themselves, would not last long before their soul was taken. What could he do?

Seto gently laid Chloe down so she was sitting up against a tire and reached into his pocket, taking out his Deck. He was still shaky on using his Sennen Rod, and he couldn't afford to make a mistake and put Chloe in more danger than she already was. He sheathed his knife and selected a card and held it up, putting the rest of his Deck back into his pocket.

"I Summon Red Medicine!" Seto shouted. The Rod heated his back and Seto bit his lip and held his breath as the Flame Cerberus crept forward, its hackles raised in attack. A burst of light erupted from the card and Flame Cerberus started back at the flash. Seto felt smooth glass fall into his free hand and gazed at it. It was a glass vial filled with red liquid. Seto smiled triumphantly. He uncorked the vial and handed it to Chloe, who was barely conscious enough to grip it.

"Here, drink. You'll feel better."

"Wha' did…y'do?"

"Doesn't matter. Just drink." Seto insisted. Chloe did so (with some help from Seto) and her eyes widened and her mouth fell open as her breathing quickened. "Sullivan?" Seto asked.

"Feels like liquid fire," she gasped. "Wow. That's incredible. Ryuujin, what is this?" Chloe asked as she rose.

"Never mind that, we have bigger problems." Seto said as he gestured back for the bottle, which Chloe immediately complied. The Flame Cerberus had recovered from its mild fright and was inching forward again, wary of whatever Seto might do. _Now, if the Red Medicine can also replenish the bonds to the soul as well as destroy all the monsters on the field, then this should kill two birds with one stone._ Seto lifted the bottle into the air and threw at the Flame Cerberus'sfeet. It howled in pain and rage as the Red Medicine burned its body like acid. Shrieking, it slowly dissolved into purple shadows, along with the shards of the Red Medicine.

"Holy shit," Chloe breathed.

Seto let out a breath of relief as the Shadow Realm lifted and the late afternoon sun shone again. He slipped his card back into his pocket without alerting Sullivan and straightened out his jacket. "Let's chase Kent another day. I don't think you're up for Round Two with him."

"But Clark-"

"Can't get into any more trouble than he already is. His parents will be furious with him for his suspension, and they've dealt with his mood swings before. They can handle whatever he throws at them."

"You make it sound like he's extremely dangerous." Chloe grinned as she went to her car.

"You're his friend. You tell me he's not."

"I have to agree with you on that one." Chloe took out her keys and put them into the lock on the door and unlocked the car. Then she sighed, and leaned against the car door. "Ryuujin, I'm not up for driving. Whatever you gave me really helped, but my mind is still short-circuited. Do you think you can drive us back?"

Seto smirked. "Come now, you don't want to break the law-"

"Ryuujin, get that fucking smirk off your face and drive like a gentleman," Chloe snapped.

"At once, 'madam'," Seto snorted, going over to the driver's side while Chloe went to the passenger and collapsed into the seat, closing her eyes.

"Where did you get that stuff anyways?"

"I've learned over the years to be prepared."

"Thought Clark was the boy scout….wait, over the years? How long had you dealt with these sort of things?" Chloe asked, opening her eyes and sitting up.

"Long enough."

"Hn." Chloe smirked and lay back down, closing her eyes. Seto rolled his eyes at her. "Oh, and by the way, like the Turtle-thingy, this does NOT get mentioned to my dad."

"Because you don't want him interfering," Seto stated, starting the car and putting it in gear.

"And I don't want him getting worried."

"Not get worried? From the unrelated Duel Monster events you've told me about, I'm surprised he hasn't put you under house arrest so you don't get yourself into trouble."

"He knows me well enough that wouldn't work, and I'm curious by nature. Understandably, he is very protective of me, but he doesn't know _everything_." Even though she was halfway dozing, Seto could make out a small smile playing on her lips.

As Seto exited the parking lot and drove in the suburbs, his hands began to tingle slightly. His dragons perked up in interest and the Rod gave the ever so slight pulse. _What is it?_ Seto asked then.

His question was answered once he drove by Ryou's home. Wisps of Shadow magic everywhere and he heard faint roars coming from behind Ryou's apartment building. He stopped the car and Chloe, eyes now open, sat up and quirked an eyebrow at him.

"Is it happening again?" she asked.

Seto parked the car by the side of the road. "Stay in the car."

"Now wait just a-"

"Sullivan, I do not have time to argue. You don't know how to handle this and you will only slow me down. Stay. In. The. Car." With that, Seto got out of the car and closed the door on Sullivan's protests.

"Ryuujin! You only have a knife! What the hell are you going to do?" Chloe called after him, her voice muffled by the car.

Seto ran across the sidewalk to the lawn outside of Ryou's apartment building and behind it. What he found was Bakura kneeling on one leg as he struggled to sit up, panting heavily as he faced down a Laiti Shpalu and a Prominence Dragon. _Laiti Shpalu, _Seto calculated as he stared at silver armor and red-clawed hands that held lightning._ Attack, 2400. Defense, 1000. Thunder monster, and when put on the field, destroys all opponents monsters immediately. Prominence Dragon. Attack, 1500. Defense, 1000._

Assuming that Bakura had called up a monster, the Laiti Shpalu had destroyed it and then used Prominence Dragon to attack directly, Bakura was in serious need of some Life Points. Seto dug into his pocket and pulled out his Deck, selecting a card.

"Bakura!" he shouted, getting the white-haired teen's attention. Bakura looked at him and Seto tossed the card, which Bakura caught easily. Since this wasn't an official Duel, Seto didn't care that he was breaking the rules. Besides, he owed the occult Duelist.

Bakura looked at it, and for a second looked like he was going to toss it away, but instead held it high. "I activate Magic Card Curing God Dian Kate!" A green-haired woman in a navy dress holding an Ankh appeared and touched her glowing Ankh to Bakura's shoulders, making the whole Duelist glow. Then she dipped her head and disappeared. Bakura got up smoothly and grinned, drawing a card. "It's still my turn, girlie," he said to himself. "Death Calibre Knight! Attack Prominence Dragon!"

_Death Calibre Knight. Attack, 1900. Defense, 1800. A good card._

Death Calibre Knight ran forward and chopped Prominence Dragon in half. The Dragon shrieked in agony and then vanished into purple shadows.

"I place one monster face down and another card face down and end my turn. Take your best shot, wench." Bakura's eyes glinted.

Another monster appeared and Seto saw that it was Iron Warrior Free Cogwheel.

_Warrior card. Attack, 1800. Defense, 1600._

"Nice try. Activate Trap Card Trap Hole!"

A giant hole appeared in the ground and the duel monster fell in as was immediately buried.

"Activate monster card Invader of Darkness! Attack Laiti Shpalu!"

_Invader of Darkness. Fiend card. Attack, 2900. Defense, 2500. Unless the rogue Duelist pulls one heck of an ace from her sleeve…_

Laiti Shpalu dissolved from Invader of Darkness's claws.

_…the Duel is over._

Seto observed, amused as Bakura dusted off his hands and dismissed his monsters and slipped his Deck back into his pocket. He frowned, and then rolled his eyes, muttering something underneath his breath. Suddenly, Ryou was there, and fishing out something from his pocket. He walked over to Seto and presented the object to the Dragon Duelist. It was his Curing God Dian Kate card. Seto took it back and put it into his pocket.

"Yami won't ever admit it, but he really did need that card. She attacked us out of nowhere and by the time we had a formal Duel started, we were terribly weakened. And then she takes 1500 more Life Points, and well…it was very close. Thank you, Kaiba-kun."

_Which goes to show that even a strong, skilled Duelist can be taken out by ambushes and underhanded tactics._ "She may have gotten a lot stronger, but she's a rank amateur. She didn't even defend her monsters. But if she uses it right, her power can compensate for that." _Hell, I did that in my beginning Dueling days. Gozaburo did that in our Duel in Noa's virtual world._

"Maybe she's trying to lure us into a false sense of security?"

Seto sighed. "It doesn't matter. What will come, will come, and we'll meet it when it does."

"What happened to your chin?" Ryou asked.

Seto gently ran a finger along his cut. "Got on Kent's bad side."

"Kent-kun _hit _you?"

"Something is wrong with him. Something that has changed his emotions. Sullivan and I are going to try and figure it out. In the meanwhile, watch yourself. The Rod doesn't like him already, and it wanted me to use magic on Kent." He turned his back to Ryou and started to walk away. "I have to go; I left Sullivan in the car."

"Kaiba-kun!"

Seto stopped, but didn't turn around.

"Thank you for the warning. And…anou…when you have time…anou, later tonight, I need to show you something. One o' clock?"

"One-thirty. I have work to catch up on."

"That's fine."

Seto resumed walking and got to the car, climbing in to see a nail-biting, lip-chewing, anxious-faced teenaged girl.

"What happened? Are you all right? Was it Duel Monsters?"

"We defeated the monsters, yes, I'm fine, and yes, it was Duel Monsters."

"Why do they keep attacking? And why do you keep worrying me to death?" Chloe shouted as Seto started the car.

"I don't know, and I do because it's amusing."

"Amusing? You think causing me to have a cardiac is amusing?"

"Of course."

Chloe narrowed her eyes and punched him in the arm. "You're such an asshole."

"I thought that was Kent's title."

"Well, yeah, but that doesn't mean there can't be two. We are going after him tomorrow?"

"If he hasn't snapped out of it by then, yes." _And I'm not looking forward to it._

**

* * *

A/N: Heh, it's been a LONG time, hasn't it? Sorry, AP US History has me completely and utterly busy. Not to mention the fact that I'm taking AP English too, although I'm doing a lot better in that class...ANYWAYS, this chapter is great. It's probably one of the best chapters I've written so far, when things REALLY get going, Yu-Gi-Oh AND Smallville style. You'll see. And props to my new beta, MotherChowGoddess! Poor Kagemihari's really busy, so I asked good ol' MCG to help, and she did a fabulous job!**

And to a reviewer who asked about Isobel, don't worry, I have BIG plans for her. I just need to get to that place. And I haven't forgotten about the cave that Ryou's father is working in either.

Please review! I LOVE getting reviews! My muse lives on reviews (and chocolate-chip cookies and the Seto Kaiba screen shots).

* * *


	9. ChocolateChip Cookies and Explanations

**A/N: OH MY GOD! I'M ALIVE! -does a Frankenstein's monster impersonation- Please, please don't lynch me! I must apologize for this. I had the damndest time getting this chapter written (sudetracked combined with school combined with genuine laziness) and then my beta was extremely busy (her motehr-in-law died) and it took a loooong time to get this chapter beta-ed. Good news though is that the ninth chapter is already written and in the process of being beta-ed so I'll be posting again soon. I just don't know what to write for Chapter 10. heh heh. And I am going to be AWOL for July because I'm doing a summer program in Oxford, England! I'm taking a major (Archeology/Anthropology) and a minor (Creative Writing) and it's going to be so fun!**

**To My Loyal Servant: I got your email, yes, and unfortunately I couldn't find your address or username anywhere and you've left me wondering who exactly you think the Rogue Duelist is. Please drop me an email at and let me know so I can tell you if you're right or not!**

**As Always: _italics_ means thoughts (always Seto's)**

** _>>>> _means scene change

* * *

**

**Chapter 8: Of Chocolate-Chip Cookies and Explanations**

Seto opened the window in his bedroom and was about to climb out of it when he felt eyes watching him. Turning, he saw the Kuriboh staring at him.

"What?" he asked, but it didn't move. "It's not like I haven't snuck out before. You didn't make a fuss any of those times."

It blinked and Seto growled under his breath.

"I'm not taking you with me."

Its eyes widened just a little bit more in one of the best innocent looks Seto had ever seen. Luckily for Seto, he was harder than stone. He wouldn't let this thing sway him. He was strong; he was Kaiba Seto for crying out loud, he certainly wasn't going to allow himself to yield to this brown cotton ball thing with those huge…green….eyes. Seto opened his mouth, and then shut it quickly, shaking his head as if to clear it.

"You are too fuzzy for your own good," he accused the demonically cute Kuriboh.

"Oowoo?"

"Urusai," Seto snapped and climbed out of his window, shutting it behind him with a snap. "That thing's special ability is _not _to self-destruct with direct contact with the enemy, that's for sure." Seto muttered to himself as he walked across the Sullivan's lawn. Mokuba would laugh, to hear his fearless nisama say that a Kuriboh's special ability was its "fuzziness".

**_>>>>_**

Seto walked up to Ryou's apartment building to find the Occult Duelist leaning against the stairs, waiting for him. Dressed in dark clothes and carrying a backpack, he nodded at Seto and walked towards the CEO. Ryou blinked as the porch light illuminated Seto and arched an eyebrow.

"That bruise really colored up nicely," he commented. "It has these nice blue and purple shades mixed with a bit of green…" Ryou trailed off as Seto glared at him. "And I'll stop now because that look you're giving me is saying 'I know five hundred ways of killing people and I've tested them all out but one, how do you feel about being my guinea pig for the evening'?"

Seto ignored this comment (even though it was amusing) and absentmindedly ran a finger along his jaw line where Kent had punched him earlier that day. It only ached slightly; he'd had worse injuries than a bruise on his chin. "What did you want to show me?" Seto changed the subject as he followed Ryou to Bakura-san's car.

"The caves. Papa said that the markings changed again. And also Ya…Bakura can barely stand to be in them."

Seto arched an eyebrow. "That's ironic. According to him, there wasn't a tomb he didn't like. They're just caves with paintings done by the local Native American tribe. Kent likes to go to them, and the Luthors are interested in them as well."

Ryou didn't ask how Seto knew this. "Well, that's actually who funded Papa. Luthor Lex is funding Papa's excavation," he admitted as he unlocked the Subaru.

Seto gave Ryou a look. "You didn't tell me this before because…?"

"I just found out today. Luthor-san asked me how it was going." Ryou shook his head and got into the driver's seat.

Seto climbed into the passenger seat. "He was at the cemetery. He saw you. You told him your name, and he didn't even blink. Why didn't he say something?"

"He was probably too distracted by the fact that he'd just helped you out of your grave, Kaiba-kun," Ryou snorted as he started the engine.

"Hn. People like Luthor are never distracted."

"Maybe he's more human than you think he is," Ryou snapped, putting the car in gear and driving towards the caves.

"And maybe you are making dangerous assumptions, Ryou

"Maybe Luthor-san deserves them! Ever think about that?"

Somehow Seto had lost control of the conversation, and it had subtly switched to more personal levels, for both of them. "If that man is anything like I think he is, then he doesn't even deserve one tiny act of kindness." _But he starves for them anyways._

Ryou's mouth twisted. "You are some piece of work, Kaiba-kun."

"Hm?" Seto raised an eyebrow at the unfamiliar phrase.

"Ergh, stupid American phrase," Ryou muttered underneath his breath. "What you are, Kaiba-kun, is an incredibly screwed up person."

Seto kept a straight face for all about ten seconds, and then exploded into laughter.

Ryou gave him an odd look. "And apparently you've just lost your mind as well."

Seto gasped, trying to speak through his mirth. "Of-of all the th-things you could have said, 'incredibly screwed up person' are the least likely words I expected to come out of your mouth!"

"And you find this amusing?"

Seto's guffaws were Ryou's only answer.

Ryou sighed. "And I thought my yami was nuts."

**_>>>>_**

Ryou parked in the lot a few yards from the cave and he and Seto got out, their feet scraping on the dirt and rocky ground. When they reached the cave entrance, they both stopped short. The two security guards that had been standing at the entrance were lying still on the ground. Seto stepped forward and pressed two fingers to their necks.

"They're alive, but one of them looks to have a broken arm, and who knows if they have concussions or internal injuries. Who would do this, Ryou?"

Ryou shrugged and then his eyes widened. "Wait, didn't you say Kent liked the caves?"

"Yes, and he's not acting like himself recently."

"Understatement of the year," Ryou muttered underneath his breath.

Seto ignored him and glanced around. "But how did he get from his farm to here without a car? That's a very long walk."

"Maybe he hid it."

Seto straightened from his crouch and looked at the barren surroundings. "Where? And why?"

"How should I know?"

"You're the one who suggested it."

"My, aren't we in a fine mood tonight."

Seto rolled his eyes.

"Well, are we going to go in?" Ryou jerked his head at the entrance.

Seto shivered unconsciously. The cave looked small, too small to even fit a standard Enstrom F-28 Sentinel helicopter. _You can practically _taste_ the oddness._

Ryou walked forward until he was beside Seto, digging into his backpack and taking out two flashlights, handing one to Seto. "Heck, I don't like it either." So Ryou had noticed Seto's shiver.

_ Damn._

Ryou continued. "But if Kent's in there and doing something, then we have to stop it."

"I hate being righteous," Seto grumbled as he followed Ryou into the cave, both of them flicking their flashlights on. _And I hate caves and dungeons and_-Seto's train of thought was interrupted by Ryou's snort.

"Says the Duelist who now claims to Duel with honor."

Seto inclined his head. "When the fuck did I say that?"

"Well, you certainly don't Duel with dishonorable intentions."

"Just because I don't do something does not mean that I do the exact opposite," Seto retorted.

"Then why are you on this mission, if not with honorable intentions?"

"I'm not here with 'honorable intentions', as you call them. I'm here to kick a Duelist's ass."

"Yeah, and my yami just _adores_ Yugi," Ryou rolled his eyes.

Seto refused to reply to this, and instead took the chance to look around the caves. _The high rocky walls were covered with what looked like randomly painted simplistic designs, shapes, and stick-figures, all colored white. The markings glowed_ eerily in the flashlight beams.

"Maybe it's just me, but the Native American drawings that I've seen looked nothing like these." Seto remembered from a long time ago his artist mothershowed him pictures of Native American paintings. Those paintings had been bursting with color, detail, and personified animals. The cave paintings couldn't be more different.

"I know. Papa says that this tribe must have been very different from other tribes, because he hasn't seen anything like these paintings either. Even the other local tribe paintings look nothing like these, and usually there is at least slight similarity."

"And you said the markings changed?" Seto inquired.

"Yeah. That's what I want to show you. Papa says that ever since they have been discovered, certain markings on a wall have changed at least three different times with no signs that they had been tampered with. It's like the rock itself rotated, but there aren't any signs of cracks to indicate someone dug out a section of the wall and moved it."

"How can solid rock move without any signs of a disturbance?"

"Magic?" Ryou guessed.

Seto snorted. "Right. Why would magic be in a place like this? And what purpose would it accomplished by rearranging symbols?"

"I don't know. Maybe the rearranging of the symbols is some sort of spell."

Seto stopped short. "Ryou, there is no magic in this cave. If there was any more magic in this cave besides our Sennen Items, this cave wouldn't exist_." Magic would try to destroy this oddness that inhabits this cave._ If there was one thing Seto had learned from his short exposure to magic and even shorter stay in Smallville, it was that the oddness that was everywhere in the town and magic did not mix. In fact, magic tried to destroy every speck ofabnormality it sensed.

"Ah, yeah, right, forgot about that." Seto heard the jingle of gold jewelry and turned to see Ryou playing nervously with the spikes on his Sennen Ring. "What?" Ryou demanded in reply to his glance. "This place is bad on my nerves, too, you know."

Seto swallowed hard and looked down at his hand that wasn't carrying the flashlight. It had been clenching ever since they had gotten into his cave, and all of his nerves were singing at the taint of oddness in the air. If someone surprised him, they would not walk away to regret it. His Sennen Rod was pulsing at his back, its beats getting louder and more persistent the further they walked into the caves. If not for his steel will and pride, Seto would have turned tail and fled from this horrible place. He glanced up at the ceiling, wishing there was at least a small hole so that he could glimpse the night sky.

Seto started as suddenly the cave started to glow with a blinding white light. The light seemed to claw at his arms and his Sennen Item, and Seto snarled at the light, drawing his Rod and holding it out in front of him, trying to ward the light off. He could hear Ryou, no, that was _Bakura's_ voice, muttering underneath his breath. Bakura's Sennen Ring was glowing with a golden light that the white light seemed to shrink away from. Seto looked down at his Rod and saw that it was doing the same thing.

As quickly as the light had appeared, it vanished. The glow from Seto's and Bakura's Sennen Items faded as well and Seto lowered his Rod, releasing a low, shuddering breath he didn't know he'd been holding. Bakura's eyes were narrowed with malice and his entire body was rigid.

"What the fuck was that?" Seto asked.

"How should I know, Priest?" Bakura snapped.

"I know you know more than you let on, Bakura!"

"How did I know you two had something to do with this?" Kent drawled as he stepped out from behind a rock. Seto's Rod was out in front of him in an instant, and Bakura–if it was possible–went even more rigid.

"What the hell are you doing here, Kent?" Seto growled.

"Me? What do you think _you're_ doing here?"

"You answer first," Seto snarled.

Kent stepped closer to Seto, the red stone on his ring shining from the light from the flashlights. "I thought I made it clear that I wasn't going to be taking any more orders from you, bastard."

"Do you really think you can intimidate me?"

"I can do a lot more than that, Ryuujin," Kent smiled.

_ Oh, shit._ "Bakura, get that ring off his finger!" Seto shouted as he sidestepped Kent's attack.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Bakura growled.

Seto tried to sidestep Kent again but quicker than his eye could follow Kent's fist smashed into his stomach. Seto flew back several feet and landed hard on the ground, dropping his flashlight in the process. Seto rolled over and managed to get to his feet, his ribs hurting like hell. Coughing, he tried to speak. "The ring on his-" _Hack._ "-finger! It's what-" _Gasp._ "-is making him homicidal!"

Seto gasped as he saw a fist headed for his face and threw himself to the side. Kent's fist smashed into the wall behind Seto, taking out a large chunk of it. Seto tightened his sweaty grip on his Rod and glanced at Kent's fist. There was no blood, no sign of injury from punching solid rock. _That's not possible!_

Seto jerked as his dragons roared at him and warmth enveloped him as he tightened his grip on the Rod and shot a beam of golden light at Kent, hitting the teen in the shoulder with a golden blast. _If solid rock can't hurt him, maybe magic can._ Kent howled with pain and stumbled backwards, falling on his back while clutching his shoulder. Seto and Bakura ran forward and Bakura held the injured teen down as Seto grabbed Kent's ring and pulled it off.

"No!" Kent cried and Bakura was nearly thrown off as Kent lurched forward at Seto. Bakura snarled at Kent and hit him in his injured shoulder. Kent screamed from the pain and his eyes rolled back into his head and he passed out. Seto threw the ring to the ground and slammed his foot on it, crushing the stone. The Dragon Duelist's eyes widened as Seto swore Kent's veins in his arms turned bright scarlet for an instant and then faded back to normal.

Bakura panted as he got off of Kent, glaring down at the unconscious teen. Seto noticed that one of Bakura's hands was streaked with blood.

"Yours?"

Bakura snorted and wiped his hand on his jeans. "Of course not. That's Kent's blood."

"'Of course not?'"

"Priest, do you really think I'd be so foolish as to leave myself vulnerable in any way while we're in this abnormal cave?"

Seto rolled his eyes and brushed his fingers against his rib cage, flinching as the easily ignored ache turned to white-hot agony. _Damn it, I don't _need_ another injury!_

Bakura pretended not to notice Seto's flinch and looked down at Kent. "It seems something _can_ stop him."

"Indeed." Seto gazed down at his Sennen Rod. _So magic is Kent's weakness. Isn't that interesting…_

Bakura drew a knife and perched over Kent's body.

"What are you doing?"

"What does it look like? We need to kill him while we can."

"The hell you are." Seto took a step towards the thief.

Bakura glared at Seto as the thief's knife started to glow with the aid of magic. "You know exactly what he is, Priest. Gods only know why you didn't kill him before; I know each and every one of your instincts is shouting at you to do so."

Seto took another step. "I'm not going to let you murder Kent!"

"Why not? You didn't have any qualms about killing Marley. I would think that this is personal enough for you."

Seto's eyes narrowed. "Marley crossed the line from bully to murderer. Kent had no control over his actions."

"Then why did he put on the ring in the first place?"

"Maybe he didn't. Maybe someone slipped it on his finger when he wasn't looking. Put the knife _down_, Bakura."

Bakura bared his teeth at Seto. "_Make_ me, Priest."

Suddenly Kent's hand shot up and knocked the luminous knife from Bakura's hand. Bakura stumbled back in surprise and Seto jumped, regretting his action instantly as his cracked or broken rib moved.

"How about if_ I_ make you?" Kent croaked. He tried to sit up, but clutched at his shoulder and groaned, lying back down. "Ryuujin, whatever that gold stick thing is, it packs one hell of a punch."

Seto smirked. "Too bad for you, Bakura's Ring is the only thing around here that can heal."

"That sucks," Kent said matter-of-factly. "Thanks, by the way, for getting that ring off."

"I only broke my jaw and rib for it," Seto grumbled. Absentmindedly Seto marveled how his jaw hadn't come off from Kent's blows yesterday.

Bakura rolled his eyes.

Kent peered blearily up at Bakura. "You're…Ryou, right? Lex said how he was supplying the money for your father to study the caves." Kent's eyes focused and he sat up. "Why do you want to kill me? I've never even met you before."

"You seem to be taking this rather calmly," Seto observed. _Maybe the shoulder wound drove him into shock._

"Well, when you're me, you get used to death threats." Kent grunted in pain as he stood and looked at his shoulder. "What _did_ you shoot me with?"

"It seems I've discovered your weakness, Kent."

"What, the meteor rocks? That's made from kryptonite?" Kent peered at Seto's Sennen Rod.

"No." _Kryptonite? What the hell is kryptonite?_

"You're weakened by those revolting green stones that are scattered all around this town?" Bakura asked, not even bothering to conceal his interest.

"Uh…" The look on Kent's face was laughingly identical to the one on Jounouchi's face whenever Seto beat him with a combination that the makeinu hadn't predicted.

"Bakura, I think you've frightened Kent long enough." Seto's voice was colder than steel.

Bakura crossed his arms. "Who are you to tell me what to do, Priest?"

"I'm not scared of him!" Kent cried indignantly.

"Your Ring is glowing. I'd take it as a sign that Ryou would like to come back into his body," Seto continued.

"I'll relinquish control of this body when I feel like it! _Khebs-ta-i em senf-ek_!" Bakura snarled, his red-tinted eyes flashing.

"What?" Kent asked, confused. Both Duelists ignored him.

"_Wi sewdar nateten keke mi nett nu serew han pasi tew han kheben! _The only reason you are able to control his body in the first place is because of that damned Ring that you stole from Mahaado!" Seto shouted, and then froze. _Who the fuck is Mahaado, and why am I speaking in ancient Egyptian?_ Seto ran a hand through his hair. "Chikusho," he whispered, and, despite his rib's protests, leaned against the nearby cave wall.

Bakura smirked at him and the Sennen Ring flashed and suddenly Ryou was there.

"Kai-Ryuujin-kun?" Ryou asked hesitantly, managing to pack in with those two words '_are you all right?'_, '_what did Bakura do?'_, '_you're hurt'_, '_will you let me heal you?'_, and hidden in the knot of those words and Ryou's expression was '_will you trust me?'_ and '_will you allow me to be your ally and maybe even your friend?'_

"Just…heal Kent, all right?" Seto murmured.

Ryou nodded. "Hai, Ryuujin-kun." He turned to Kent, who backed up a bit. "It's all right, Kent-kun, I'm just going to fix your shoulder."

"A bit of a change from wanting to kill me two seconds earlier," Kent gulped.

Ryou bit his lip. "It…wasn't exactly me. I'm sorry if he-_I_-frightened you."

"You didn't scare me, just startled me and…wait, '_he_?' And you said that you wanted him to let Ryou out, and Ryou said that he would decide when to 'relinquish control' of his body, and…jeez, are you MPD or something?" Kent looked baffled.

"It's more of complication from magic, Kent-kun." Ryou said, holding the Sennen Ring in one hand and reaching up to touch Kent's bloody shoulder with the other.

Kent raised an eyebrow, but let Ryou heal his shoulder. His shoulder glowed golden for a second, and then the glow vanished. Kent looked at his shoulder, and then rotated it slightly, and his eyes widened.

"Wow. Thanks."

Ryou bowed slightly and turned to Seto, who raised an eyebrow.

"No," Seto said firmly.

"Ryuujin-kun, you stopped him from killing Kent, and then convinced him to let me out. That's tenfold the amount of debt you could _possibly_ owe me, which you don't. The least you could let me do is heal your rib."

Seto narrowed his eyes, but didn't move when Ryou stepped over to him and reached out his hand, but stopped when Seto backed away from his touch. Ryou sighed softly and placed his hand a few inches away from Seto's torso. Seto didn't make a sound as the rib healed, but felt his shoulders relax to the sudden relief from pain.

_ I hate this. I hate how I'm listening to the Rod more than to myself, I hate how I speak ancient Egyptian as if it were my native tongue, I hate the half-remembered spells and faded images soaked in desert and sandstone, I hate how I use magic every time I touch my Deck, and I hate how I can't live without my magic, how I would rather die a thousand painful deaths than not to feel the liquid gold coursing through my veins and feel my dragon's rumble beneath my skin and muscle as if_ I_ were a dragon. Gods, I don't know what to _do_. I don't know who I am anymore._

"Ryuujin-kun?" Ryou's voice was softer than a whisper, and there was a tiny pressure on Seto's shoulder, lighter than the weight of a penny. Seto didn't flinch away from Ryou's touch, but he didn't lean into it either. "Why don't I take you home?"

Not trusting his voice, Seto nodded once, and followed Ryou and a still baffled Kent towards the entrance, walking past the still unconscious security guards as they did so. Kent had bitten his bottom lip in guilt at that, and Ryou had graciously healed them before they exited the cave. The sun was starting to rise in the distance, giving everything a rosy tint with long, black shadows. A breeze ruffled Seto's hair, wrapping him in its embrace, and Seto inhaled deeply, savoring the cold, crisp, dew-touched air. He felt his entire body relax, as if a huge weight had been lifted off of him. _Thank the gods he was outside again. _With the absence of the cave's oddness and Kent's same strangeness barely lingering on his senses, just from hearing the rustling of trees in the distance and drinking in the sky Seto immediately felt re-energized. _Everything just feels right, feels clearer, purer, in the wind. The wind surrounds you, as if it puts up a shield to protect you, and it just makes you feel _alive_. Joyous, euphoric, just feeling happy to be breathing, moving, to be feeling your heart beat with every breath you take, the wind is happiness and flight. It helps you touch the sky._

Seto noticed that Ryou was gazing at him, with his head titled sideways and a small smile on his face.

"What?" Seto snapped.

Ryou shook his head, the small smile still playing on his lips. "Nothing. It's just that the color came back into your face."

Seto ignored him and turned to Kent. "What were you doing here anyways? What was with the light show earlier?"

Kent wet his lips nervously. "Um…well, you see, I was…um…"

Seto crossed his arms and fixed Kent with a powerful glare, one that usually had his tech lab apologizing from everything from the latest careless error in the video game to how they treated the short kid in grade school. "Kent, we know there's something odd about you. We're not going to stop asking, and it will make everything a lot easier in the future and prevent any more…situations. Just fucking _talk_."

Kent gulped. "Look, not here, ok? Why don't you come over tomorrow afternoon to my house, because I need to let my parents know and everything, and I doubt they'd be pleased to discuss anything at three a.m."

"Fine. Tomorrow after school at your house," Seto said, and glanced at Ryou, who nodded. "How are you getting home?"

"I'll find a way. Trust me."

"Hn." Seto turned away from Kent and he and Ryou got into Ryou's car. _You see, Kent, that's the problem. I don't trust you._

**_>>>>_**

Seto walked up the stairs to the yellow two-story country style house and knocked on the door.

"Come in!" a female voice called from inside.

Seto caught Ryou glancing sideways at him, but ignored the white-haired teen and opened the door, walking into the kitchen. The Kents were already there, Kent and his father were sitting at the table and Kent's mother was taking something out of the oven. Something that smelled…a great deal like chocolate chip cookies. Freshly baked, warm, gooey, chocolate filled cookies. Against his will, Seto felt the corner of his mouth twitch upwards.

"I made some cookies, if you boys want any." Kent's mother smiled as she set the baking sheets on the counter and transferred the cookies to a large plate, placing the plate on the kitchen table. She was about five foot, four inches with shoulder length red hair and freckles that dusted her face. She seemed to be the epitome of an American mother. "I'm Martha, by the way." She held out her hand to Ryou and Seto, who both shook it.

Kent's father stood from his chair and made his way over to Ryou and Seto. He was tall, around six feet, with sun-bleached blonde hair and tanned skin. "I'm Jonathan." He shook Ryou's and Seto's hands firmly, and Seto could feel the calluses on his hands from working on the Kent farm. "Why don't we all sit down? Martha, why don't you get us all some milk to go with these delicious cookies you baked?"

He was nervous, Seto decided. From how Clark behaved, he knew Jonathon was not one to make idle comments. Jonathan's shoulders were tense, his jaw stiff. Martha seemed to almost skitter over to the refrigerator to get the milk (from an actual bottle, Seto observed, not a carton) and her hands trembled ever so slightly when she set the bottle and several glasses down on the table. Seto moved his gaze over to Kent, who was biting his lip and staring down at the table. His fingers were repeatedly drumming on the table.

Jonathan wet his lips and took a deep breath as everyone sat down at the table and Ryou took a cookie from the plate. "Well, first of all, I'd like to thank you two boys."

Ryou blinked and Seto arched an eyebrow. "For what?" Ryou asked.

"For bringing Clark back to his senses. It was incredibly dangerous for you two to do this, and we are very grateful." Jonathan eyed the boys. "Just don't do it again. You two could have gotten seriously hurt."

Seto choked back a snort at the comment and instead went onto a more pressing matter. "How did Kent get possession of this ring in the first place if you were all aware of its danger?"

"It was Lana's fault actually," Clark admitted. "She noticed that I wasn't wearing the class ring and slipped it on my finger when I wasn't paying attention."

"Why would she do that?" Seto asked. Despite Smallville's overzelousness for its football team, the student body was not very loyal to its school. Also considering Chloe's tale of how Kent had reacted when he had last worn the ring, he would have thought that Lang was superstitious enough to keep Kent away from the trinket. It was odd behavior for anyone, even the town Damsel in Distress.

"She said she liked how it looked on me, even though it wasn't a real ruby. Said that red's my color."

Ryou shook his head. "Girls and fashion. I'll never understand it."

Seto arched an eyebrow at Ryou and his outfit, which consisted of his usual blue and white striped sweater and jeans. "Clearly, you don't understand fashion in general."

Ryou narrowed his eyes. "Don't you dare start talking-"

"Anyways, we're not here to discuss clothing taste. You have discovered Clark's secret," Jonathan interrupted.

"Yes, we do. But we'd like to hear the entire story," Seto said smoothly.

"Please," Ryou added.

"If I may ask, why is this necessary? Clark said that you also have…interesting gifts. Are they connected to meteor showers?" Martha asked.

Ryou coughed to hide a laugh. "Unlike everything else in this town? Not in the slightest, Kent-san. In fact, almost the exact opposite."

"And we've never even been to Smallville before now, and we were most certainly not here in 1988. Are Kent's-" Seto changed his word choice of "abnormalities" to something a little less harsh, "-_abilities_ connected to this meteor shower everyone talks about?"

The Kents all looked at each other, and Jonathan nodded. This time it was Kent who spoke.

"Yes. But if I tell you this, will you promise to tell us about yourselves?"

Seto felt Ryou's eyes on him. There was no way around this_. In order to get information, one must give some in return._ They just wouldn't give much. Seto glanced over at Ryou, who nodded ever so slightly in understanding.

"Yes," Ryou said. It was also an unspoken agreement that each Duelist would dictate how much they would tell about themselves, and neither of them would reveal any information they knew about the other in case it would compromise each other's story.

Jonathon spoke. "Well, in the year 1988-like you said-Smallville suffered from a meteor shower that caused a lot of damage and killed a lot of people, including some of our closest friends. Martha and I were driving home when we were caught in the meteor shower and drove into a cornfield where we discovered an alien spacecraft in the middle of the cornfield. And Clark was climbing out of that ship."

Ryou blanched. "Are you saying that Kent-kun is an alien?"

"Yes. I'm an alien. Because of this I can run at superspeed, have a kind of heat vision, am practically invulnerable, have X-Ray vision, and have superhearing."

_ Well, I can't say I'm not surprised._ He tore himself away with trying to figure out how on Earth Kent could see in X-Ray without burning out his corneas with the amount of energy that had to involve and concentrated on something more mundane the confession revealed. "So that's how I broke my hand when I hit you," Seto mused. "You have a stomach made of steel."

"Wait, you hit Clark?" Jonathan asked.

"You broke your hand?" Martha asked. "Are you all right?"

Seto waved their questions aside. "You wanted to know about us, right?" _You owe me one for distracting them, Kent. _But by the gods, he _hated_ when people got mother-hen around him. He got enough of it from Mokuba and Yugi (and now Ryou). He did _not_ need it from strangers. "You want to know what we can do, in case we are a threat to your son."

"That's not what we said," Martha protested.

"But it was what you wanted, right?" Seto pressed.

"Kai-Ryuujin-kun," Ryou warned, and then went on. "What Ryuujin-kun _means_ to say is that you're curious about us like we are curious about Kent-kun."

"Hn," Seto snorted.

"Anyways, our 'gifts' as you call them, come from a card game called Duel Monsters." Ryou dug into his pocket and pulled out his Deck, placing it on the table, turning the first card up, which was the Change of Heart card. "We have the ability to actually Summon the images depicted in the cards from their dimension to ours. By Summoning these monsters, we are able to use them in our Duels."

"So, you have the ability to 'summon' these…creatures to play games?" Jonathan Kent asked disbelievingly. Seto narrowed his eyes. He'd seen this opinion before _It's just a game,_ adults scoffed. To hell with them, didn't they know everything was a game? _You just have to know the rules and the players in order to win. When you don't, you're fucked._

"It's not just a game, Kent-san. We play for many things besides just to win. We've played for the fate of the world numerous times," Ryou told them.

Martha gaped. "You're not serious? You let the fate of the world rest on the draw of a card?"

"Sometimes, Kent-san, it's the best chance the world could ever have. It is no different than counting on one person to save the life of another," Seto stated.

"So you don't just play this game, you live it," Jonathan concluded.

"That's an accurate way of putting it," Ryou admitted.

"You said you 'summon' them from a different dimension. What dimension is this?" Martha asked.

"We call it the Shadow Realm. We can also bring it to this dimension, but not without heavy consequences. If you ever find yourself caught in a Shadow Game, no matter what you might want to do, always, _always_ forfeit. You stand a better chance of surviving than if you decide to play it out. The losers of a Shadow Game either end up in a mental institution or dead, with some exceptions," Ryou commented.

"Have you ever played in a 'shadow game?'" Jonathan asked.

"Yes, and I've been lucky."

"What about you, Ryuujin?" Kent asked.

"Yes, and I have been fortunate as well," Seto admitted. Hell, in his first big stakes Duel against Yami, he was lucky the former pharaoh had put him in a coma instead of an insane asylum. Not that Seto believed in luck, but it was the closest word he could come to describing it because he knew he hadn't done anything to redeem himself in order to alter Yami's judgment.

"So, how exactly do you 'summon' these cards? How do you–oh I don't know–open the monster's dimension to ours?" Martha inquired.

_ She's smart._

"Well, you see, this is where it gets tricky. We do it because we have magic." Ryou shrugged. "Some people are more reluctant than others to believe, including some Duelists, but that's how it's done."

"Magic? I thought that was spells and magic books and witches. You aren't wizards or anything of that sort, are you?" Jonathan asked.

Ryou shook his head. "Oh no, not at all. Well, Ryuujin is somewhat of a sorcerer, but that's only in name until he decides to starts to practice it. Not all magic is spells and lighting candles. There are many different types of magic. Our brand of magic mostly stems from the power of our ka."

"Hey, that name sounds familiar," Kent started.

_ It probably should, since we're studying Egypt in history,_ Seto grumbled mentally.

"The ka is ancient Egyptian. It's a part of the soul. It was supposedly what separated a living person from a dead one. It was like a person's double and their creative power. It was thought to exist after the person's death and had to be fed, but it didn't actually eat the food, but absorbed the energies from it." Kent rubbed the back of his head in perplexity. "It's really confusing because no one really knows the exact translation and no one can really understand the concept."

"They never told us that in history." Seto eyed Kent warily.

"I looked it up because I was curious," Kent shrugged.

"Hn." _The ka is much, much more than that._

"So you're saying your magic is Egyptian?" Jonathan asked.

"It's a very, _very_ old brand of magic," Seto muttered dryly.

"And that's bad because-?" Kent trailed off.

Ryou chuckled nervously. "Ryuujin-kun kind of got pulled into magic kicking and screaming."

Seto narrowed his eyes at Ryou, who shrank in his seat.

Jonathan's hand traveled across the table to pick up Ryou's Deck when Ryou placed his hand on top of it.

"Gomen, I mean, I'm sorry, Kent-san, but I don't like strangers handling my cards."

Jonathan retreated his hand. "I understand, Ryou."

"What did you mean that Ryuujin is a sorcerer in name, but not in practice?" Martha asked.

"That's a long story, but Ryuujin-kun is not particularly fond of magic. He will Summon, but that's all he'll allow himself to do. Most of the time. He's warming up to it a bit, I think."

Seto inspected his nails and drawled. "Do you feel particularly suicidal today, Ryou?"

Ryou swallowed.

"Okay, when you shot me with that gold stick thingy, what was that? It wasn't a card, was it?" Kent asked Seto.

Seto shook his head. "It's an old item that is another extension of our…magic, if you wish to label it as that. It takes less effort to use, and it makes Summoning easier."

"A gold stick? Can I see it?" Martha asked.

Seto shrugged and reached underneath his jacket and grasped the Rod, placing it on the table. Jonathan whistled.

"That's pure gold?"

Seto nodded.

"And you say it's an extension of your magic, which is of ancient Egyptian origin. So that has to be extremely old."

"Three thousand years old, actually," Ryou told them.

The Kents' eyes widened. "It's in amazing condition," Martha admired.

Seto rolled his eyes and replaced the Item underneath his jacket. "Yes, it's nice and it's big and it's shiny. We seem to have gotten off topic."

"Why do you hide it?" Kent asked.

"Like I said, it's nice, it's big, it's shiny, and it's made of gold. Keep it out in the open, and it's like waving a steak in front of a lion."

Ryou had the grace to look mildly embarrassed at this.

"Do you have a gold item too, Ryou?" Martha asked.

Ryou nodded. "Mine's a ring, though."

Seto noticed that Ryou didn't say exactly where his Item was and that the Kents could easily mistake Ryou's statement to mean that Ryou's Item was a ring upon his finger.

"So, since you two seem to know each other and have the same type of magic, is there any special reason you're here? The only other magical person we encountered was Isobel, and she was here to get some stones that would give her more power." Jonathan said.

"I'm here because of my father is studying the Indian caves. Ryuujin-kun is here because of his student exchange program."

Seto leaned forward. "I'd like to know more about this Isobel woman."

"She's easily the scariest woman I've ever dealt with," Kent shuddered.

"From what we've learned from Clark's experiences, she seems to be an ancestor of Lana's who through some unexplained occurrences, managed to become a resident of Lana's body. Rather like a parasite to a host," Jonathon told them, anger evident in his voice. It wasn't directed at them, but at Isobel.

For some reason, Jonathon's last sentence sent a shiver up Seto's spine.

"She's a witch. Spell book, caldron, burned at the stake during the 1600s, etc. And she was after some stones that were from my home planet," Kent explained.

Seto raised an eyebrow. "Somehow I doubt that magic and alien technology were ever meant to go together."

"Ya-, I mean, no, they weren't. Magic, no matter how advanced it may seem, is an Earthbound force. Mix it with alien technology, and you have one hell of an unstable environment on your hands. They just weren't made to mix," Ryou concurred. He had stumbled a bit in the beginning, almost mentioning his yami, but Seto didn't comment on it.

_ Let the Kents think what they want about Ryou's stutter._ Seto pursed his lips as he found himself sifting through memories of sand and dust and glowing eyes. He sorted these thoughts into the modern vernacular with a small amount of difficulty. "With a considerable amount of effort and sacrifice, they can, but only for a short period of time with a shitload of damage done to both the magical being and the source the magic was forced upon. It's a lot like an amateur working with C-4. Actually, make that an amateur with Parkinson's disease and the nerves of a Chihuahua."

He heard a snort from Ryou at his analogy and the teen cleared his throat to cover his amusement as Ryou asked, "So what did this Isobel do with the stones? And what are these stones, exactly?"

"The stones were actually what I was doing in the cave the other night," Kent admitted.

"What were you doing with the stones?"

Kent licked his lips. "I don't know. I have two so far, maybe I was trying to find out where the third one was."

Seto narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Do you only need three to complete the set?"

"No," Kent proclaimed, shifting in his chair. Both Martha and Jonathan Kent started just the tiniest fraction and blinked as Kent answered.

_ He was lying. I'm not surprised, but by the gods, he needs lessons in lying. _

"Do you know what will happen once you collect all of these stones?" Ryou asked. Seto noticed that the Occult Duelist's hands were lightly grasped around his Deck. So Ryou had spotted the lie as well. Not unexpected, since the teen had a thief living in his head.

Kent shook his head. "Not the slightest."

Seto bit back a snort. Either Kent knew and he was lying completely, or he didn't exactly know (which wasn't at all startling) but had an idea. But Seto could read body language, and whatever the stones meant, they made Kent and his parents extremely uncomfortable, even angry. And one of the few things that could make 'honest' Kansas farmers angry besides higher taxes was a corrupt person in power. And, for some reason, Seto _knew_ that the only reason aliens came to Earth at all (_when the hell did I start believing in _aliens? Nonetheless, the belief was just as solid and strong as the faith he held in his Dragons) was to rule it. Someone (probably Kent's alien parents) had sent Kent to Earth to rule it, but it seems that along the way, these plans were disrupted. _If I wanted my child to carry on in my footsteps_–_gods forbid_–_I wouldn't stop until they complied. Something tells me Kent's had a visit from his daddy dearest._ Seto chose not to voice any of his theories. Somehow the risk of facing down an alien that could move faster than light and break him like a toothpick, and the fact that some of Jonathan Kent's calluses did not come from farming but shooting, kept Seto clinging to the miniscule amount of self-preservation he possessed. Besides, he had promised Mokuba that he would come back.

Ryou took a deep breath. "Well! If we're done here, both Ryuujin-kun and I have to be getting home. Thank you for the snack, Kent-san, and we'll see you later." Ryou stood and tucked his Deck back into his pocket. Seto stood as well.

"See you tomorrow, Kent," he graveled.

After Ryou's hasty bow, they exited the home and climbed into Ryou's car, which had been their transportation to the Kent farm.

"What do you think?" Ryou asked as he drove.

"Despite its ridiculousness, it fucking fits. Kent has been extremely out of character lately and there is no other explanation as to how I broke my hand," Seto grumbled.

"What about Isobel? How plausible do you think that is?"

"Very, although I doubt Isobel is actually from the 17th century. From what I've gathered, both Lang and Sullivan have been through an incredible amount of trauma since they began high school, and in the meteor shower Lang's parents were killed right in front of her. This could be Lang's way of coping with everything that has happened. Combine the separate, even hostile, personality with the alien rocks with dangerous levels of radiation scattered around downtown and finding an authentic spell book…" Seto let himself trail off.

"And Kent only needs to find one more stone. There is definitely more to those stones than they told us. I'm betting it has to do with power and world domination."

Seto raised an eyebrow. "How do you know?" Of course, _he_ had known, but how had Ryou had formed the theory?

"Yami was snickering. He only laughs if world domination is around the corner and that person is doing everything they could to screw it up," Ryou answered dryly.

"I see."

They didn't speak for the rest of the drive.

**_>>>>_**

Seto lay on the bed in the room he was residing in the Sullivan's home and rubbed his forehead. Thank the gods there was a lock on his door, or he never would have escaped Chloe's interrogation. He smirked privately to himself as he pulled out the homemade chocolate-chip cookies from where he had secreted them in his jacket sleeve. He unwrapped the pilfered goods from the handkerchief he always kept on his person (he had used it to keep the cookies from soiling his jacket). He'd pick pocketed them while the Kents had been busy listening to Ryou's story.

Seto ate the first cookie and was about to eat the second when he heard a small "Oowoo?" from the foot of the bed. He looked up and raised his eyebrow when he saw the Kuriboh staring at him with its big green eyes. Seto met its gaze and they both stared at each other. The Kuriboh blinked innocently and changed the direction of its gaze to the cookie Seto held in his hand. Seto snorted lightly and broke the cookie in half, holding one piece out to the Duel Monster. It chirped and hopped over to the CEO, taking the cookie in its green hands and stuffing the treat into its mouth, chewing noisily with a huge smile on its face. Seto felt a chuckle sneak out of him as he watched the monster's antics and gave it the rest of the cookie. Shaking his head, Seto wiped his hands on his jeans and pulled out his cell phone, dialing his mansion's number.

"Moshi moshi!"

"Hey, Mokuba."

"Nisama! How's it going?"

Seto smirked. "I finally got Kent to open up. And you'll never believe what his story is."

"What is it?"

Seto got up from the bed and double-checked the door was locked, although he was speaking to Mokuba in Japanese. "He's an alien," Seto said as he returned to the bed. The Kuriboh took Seto's return as an invitation to rest next to the Dragon Duelist's arm. Seto absentmindedly stroked the monster while he listened to Mokuba's reaction.

"…Whoa. Did you get to see his spaceship?"

"No. I doubt they'd show it to me anyways. They said he flew to Earth during that meteor shower in '88."

"That makes sense. And Kent's parents found him and took him in?"

"Yes. It was a hell of a risk they were taking. I wonder how they forged the adoption papers," Seto mused.

"They'd need deep pockets to do that, and they obviously don't. Also, they'd have to be very good with computers," Mokuba answered.

"And they would have to find someone who wouldn't ask too many questions and would do it for very little or no charge. Someone who owed them a favor, perhaps."

"You've met the Kents. Would they use someone in that fashion?" Mokuba asked and Seto could hear in his little brother's voice that Mokuba was frowning in concentration.

"Not very lightly. But, they both honor family. They would do almost anything to protect someone they viewed as their child. However, they live in a small town. Kent Jonathan's farm has been in Jonathan's family for a full four generations. Kent Martha's family has some money, low high class, probably. Not enough to create false adoption papers, and her family would probably refuse, anyways. Besides, I bet those papers were created almost immediately in order to defuse questions and suspicion. No, it was very high up, with lots of money and influence."

"What about Luthor?"

"He's not old enough," Seto dismissed.

"His father, then."

"Luthor Lionel?" The idea was legitimate, but there was one problem with Mokuba's theory. "Luthor Lionel doesn't care about anyone but himself. He wouldn't do this for the Kents."

"He was very wealthy and powerful, right?"

"Yes." Seto could see where Mokuba was going with this line of thinking.

"He wasn't born into that, right?"

"No, he wasn't, which means he probably had to do a lot to get where he was. Especially to get a plant set up in Smallville. A small town would hardly trust a multi-billion dollar corporation without some sway. This means he probably owed a favor or two to Kent Jonathan, who is well respected in Smallville."

"Is he?"

"He may not realize it, but his name does carry weight. It's very subtle, but it's there. I've heard how often the Kents go through trucks and tractors." Seto snorted. It had been something Seto had overheard in passing, but it was ridiculous the amount of times the Kents had to get their vehicles replaced. The family seemed to be extremely accident-prone. Seto had even heard a tale where apparently one of their tractors had fallen from the sky five miles from their home! The only person who could have done that was Kent, although for what reason was beyond Seto. The farm boy cared more about keeping his secret than anything else, and throwing a tractor five miles would expose him, if not instigate some suspicion upon the Kents, at the very least.

"So do you think that Kent Jonathan asked Luthor Lionel to do this?"

"I would bet my life on it," Seto smirked.

"Even honest small towns in Kansas have their secrets," Mokuba scoffed. Seto found it amusing that Mokuba seemed to be more upset about the prospect of the question of Kent Jonathan's honesty then by the fact of the existence of aliens.

"Every place has secrets. Cities are just too big to hide them."

"Speaking of the Luthors, Luthor Lex was investigating your profile the other day," Mokuba informed him.

"Why didn't you tell me this before?" Seto frowned.

"Because he obviously believed your fake background since he didn't investigate further. He'll probably ask you a few questions later, but you can handle that. So, aside from Kent's secret, what else have you discovered? Anything to do with the Rogue Duelist?" Mokuba asked eagerly.

"Besides the attack in the parking lot and her skirmish Duel with Bakura, nothing. She's waiting to make her move until she is at a clear advantage. She's trying to draw us out, make us nervous so she can see what kind of cards we have, who we are. She doesn't have the ability to sense all of that from our magic."

"Have you learned anything about her?"

"She is well versed in ancient Egyptian magic, the only reason she isn't more powerful is that she lacks experience, she's tied to the Luthors in some way, hates Sullivan Chloe and Luthor Lex, has an unbalanced Deck, and relies more on power than is healthy." _I don't have a damn clue._

"Could you spot her if she passed you in the street?"

"Of course. But she's toying with us. She hasn't shown us many powerful cards yet." _She can summon the Shadow Realm. She holds the ace._

"You've faced worse."

Seto pinched the bridge of his nose. "I know." _But this is unfamiliar territory. Ryou is on my side, as is Bakura_–_for now_–_but she's more experienced at Summoning than I am._

"Nisama, you have the Blue Eyes White Dragons. No one except Yami can beat them."

_ There are always stronger cards._ "I know, Mokuba. How is everything on your side of the world?"

"Just fine. Everything is running smoothly. There have been some questions as to what exactly you're doing on your vacation, but I've dodged them."

"Good. Who was asking those questions?"

"Reporters," Mokuba spat.

"I see." Seto's tone was exactly the same as Mokuba's. Neither brother liked the media. It was useful, in a sense, but it was more of a handicap than an advantage. They'd had their fair share of investigative reporter trouble, especially in Seto's first year of being a CEO, and it took several threats and restraining orders to make the parasites back off after Seto had awoken from his coma. The media starved for bad news like a wolf during a famine. Combining that with Seto's young age and genius, they never quite let anything go. "Any bruises?"

"Not yet, but there's still hope. So what's it like being back in school?"

Seto just barely held back a snort. "School at home and school here are very, very different, Mokuba."

"Oh, of course they're handled and run differently, but the basics never change."

Mokuba sounded so smug at the moment that Seto had to ask, "What basics are those?"

"Gossip, grades, strict and pushover teachers, social status, peer pressure, parental pressure, just general pressure all around, games, etc, etc." Seto could hear the smirk creep into Mokuba's voice as he continued, "And I'm positive that even if you showed up wearing nothing but a trash bag you'd be the–_echem_–'hottest' guy there."

Seto really did laugh this time.

"I'm serious, nisama! It continues to astound me that you never notice, but then again, you never notice anything that's not on a computer screen."

Oh, he knew where this was going, but at times like these it was better to play dumb. Why was Mokuba even bringing this up? "Notice what?"

"You never notice that when you walk or drive by a girl, or even a guy, they _look_ at you."

Seto rolled his eyes. "That's because I go out of my way to be noticed, Mokuba."

Mokuba sighed. "You're hopeless sometimes. If you were in Smallville for Valentine's Day, you'd be showered with cards."

Seto wasn't convinced. In Domino High, the high school population had gone out of their way to avoid him; not that he blamed them. "Right."

"Whatever, nisama. I gotta go. Bye."

"Bye, Mokuba." Seto hung up his phone and stared at it for a minute before replacing it in his pocket. His brother could be extremely bizarre at times.

**

* * *

**

**Further Notes:**

**-Enstrom F-28 Sentinel: **

A standard type of helicopter. I'm drawing on Vathara's idea of how Michael Archangel is claustrophobic partly from his piloting so I decided, hell, why not make Seto somewhat claustrophobic from that, and then the recent exhuming of his still living body would only worsen the phobia.

**-Ka information comes from:**

-http/www.philae.nu/akhet/KaBa.html

**-Egyptian words come from various sources.**

**-Dictionary for Ancient Egyptian phrases:**

_ -Khebs-ta-i em senf-ek- _I'll break and turn up the earth in your blood (Loaned by Vathara with permission)

_ -Wi sewdar nateten keke mi nett nu serew han pasi tew han kheben- _(very roughly and probably incorrect to the point where I can hear Dr. Daniel Jackson from Stargate SG-1 weeping and the Egyptian gods planning my demise via Am'mit) I will break your neck like a goose's and cook you with the guilty! (The original curse was 'I will break your neck like a goose's and cook you with the condemned', but for the life of me I could not find the word condemned and since the curse (which was written on a tomb) did not come with a lovely translation, I had to scour the net for days to try and find the right words.)

_Chapter 9 coming soon! Don't fret! Let me warn you, the mood of this fic is going to change dramatically in Chapter 9. VERY dramatically._


	10. Isobel Surfaces

**A/N:**

**WARNING:** It's gonna get a little turmoiled out there. Be sure to bring your umbrella. There's going to be violence, magic used in BAD BAD ways, and some slight sexual content.

_italics_ means thoughts  
**** means scene change

**Chapter 9: Isobel Surfaces**

The bell rang, signaling the end of AP Calculus and Seto patiently waited until all of the other students had departed before gathering up his things and beginning his exit. By waiting those few minutes, the halls would be significantly emptier from the rush of students to lunch and therefore Seto could walk to his spot in relative peace. However, just as he was passing Merrill-sensei's desk, she looked up from her papers and called to him.

"Oh, Ryuujin, I want to talk to you."

Seto blinked and turned to face her. "Yes?"

Merrill-sensei sorted her papers into a nice neat pile and placed them down on her desk. She looked straight into Seto's eyes and asked, "Are you all right?"

Seto blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Are you all right?" Merrill-sensei repeated. "You seem to be distracted lately. Is there anything going on that is troubling you, besides that abysmal fistfight that erupted between you and Kent. You are obviously a very private person, and I can see why would wouldn't even dream of going to a school counselor, especially when you're in a different country, but if you'd like to discuss anything with me, I'm open, and more confidential than an FBI file."

Seto just barely held in a sardonic laugh. He'd gotten talks like this before from his doctor, the Big Five, the former head housekeeper at the mansion, and his former technical advisor. And now he was getting it from a teacher who (while he did respect her) he barely knew! Seto spent half a minute composing a reply that didn't consist of biting sarcasm and instead contained diplomatic sarcasm.

"Merrill-sensei," _Yes, always remember the honorific to make sure that the tone of your voice doesn't sound as sharp._ "There isn't possibly anything you can say that will help the delicate situation I'm in right now. So, don't try. While your effort is—" Seto hastily changed "hackneyed" to a more diplomatic word, "—admirable, I will decline." With that, Seto walked out of the room. He then made a quick stop at the bathroom to release the laughter he'd been holding in during his refusal.

It was when he had calmed down that he realized that there was a significant weight missing from his pocket. Frowning, he quickly went through his pockets and swore when he realized he had left his cell phone back in the Sullivan's home. Rolling his eyes, Seto shouldered his backpack and exited the bathroom. He deposited his backpack into his locker and walked out of school. Although Chloe did drive to school, it was only a half hour to forty-five minute walk to her home. If Seto missed half of history, so be it. He knew more than the teacher did anyways.

__

Seto narrowed his eyes as he walked up the path to the front door. He could feel that something was off. However, the house looked fine, untouched and undamaged, and the door wasn't even open in the clichéd detective suspense novel style. Seto trusted his instincts, though. When he cautiously tried the knob and found that it gave under his touch, he was instantly ready to attack. Unlike many of the citizens of Smallville, the Sullivans—used to living in the city—locked their door. Senses on high alert—the taste of foreign magic tickled the base of his spine—he walked into the silent house.

The lights were on and cars keys lay abandoned on the kitchen table next to a half-empty glass of water, ice partially melted. Someone had been here recently. Seto frowned even more when he saw a dark shape on the floor, partially hidden by the table. Gazing around and deciding that whatever was the source of the foreign magic wasn't in the immediate vicinity, Seto approached the object. He stopped short when he realized the shape was a person, and that the person was a very still Sullivan Gabe. Seto knelt down and placed two fingers to the man's neck and was satisfied to find a pulse. Sullivan-san's breathing was clear and even, no sign of rib trauma. A quick examination of the skull disproved the theory that the man had been knocked out by a blow to the head. In fact, given the lack of struggle, either Sullivan Gabe had been drugged or—even more unlikely—had fallen asleep. The house didn't seem to have been robbed; Seto could see through the doorway leading to the living room that the television and VCR were untouched, so why was Chloe's father lying on the floor, unconscious? Seto shook the man's shoulder, trying to revive Sullivan-san.

"Sullivan," Seto hissed. "Get up, damn it."

Suddenly the sense of foreign magic spiked and Seto started and leapt to his feet, turning to face a smirking Lang Lana.

"Isn't this precious? I set a trap for the daughter and instead I get the wayward freeloader." She blinked, and an unfamiliar expression flittered across her face as her smile widened. "Well, well, well, so this is how the miner feels when he digs for copper and strikes gold." She took a step forward, and Seto narrowed his eyes in silent warning. "How do you have that much power, my dear Ryuujin?" She lengthened the syllables of his name, making the sounds crawl inside his ear and claw his brain. "How can someone as young as you be so _deliciously_ powerful?"

Isobel held out her hand and Seto grunted as an invisible force threw him against the kitchen counter, slamming his head against the wooden cabinet doors. His Rod dug into his back as he struggled against the pressure. He gritted his teeth as he tried to break the spell, but Isobel grinned and curled the fingers of her outstretched hand, and Seto gasped as his air was cut off. Isobel stepped until she was directly in front of him and leaned over until he could feel her breath tickle his ear.

"You poor, poor, _wretched_ little boy," the witch whispered in Seto's ears.

Spots were starting to swirl in Seto's vision. _'You wretched little boy'_ echoed in his ears, and the tone changed, warped from a teenaged girl's to a man of forty. Gozaburo's deep, harsh whisper flittered in Seto's mind, and he could almost see the man standing in front of him, the familiar hated red suit and the dark eyes and black hair just starting to go gray. He could see the manic glitter in the man's eyes, his lips curled into a smug grin. _'You wretched little boy'_ echoed again in Seto's ears, and something in him **_snapped_**.

"_Enough!_" Seto snarled hoarsely and swung, hitting Isobel right in the ribs, knocking her backwards so that she crashed into a chair as she fell. Doubled over, Seto glared at her as he gasped, trying to catch his breath. "I've…had…enough." He fumbled for the Rod and pulled it out of its hiding place, brandishing it like a sword. A stream of golden light exploded from the Sennen Item, and Isobel barely dodged it. It hit a chair and the chair crumpled to the floor, splintered and smoking. Seto fired the Rod again and Isobel managed to grab the energy, holding it in her hands. She grated a spell and the ball faded and shrank until she was able to slam it into the floor where it cracked and seared the wood, but did little else.

She placed her hands on the floor and pushed herself up, wincing as she put weight on her injured palms. "Don't you know, Ryuujin?" She smiled up at Seto as she swayed, gripping the table beside her for support. _Capturing that energy must have taken a lot of effort on her part._ "That if you hurt me, you hurt Lana?"

"Does it look like I care?" Seto rasped, and Isobel's eyes widened in fright as he raised the Rod again. "Lang probably objects to my use of force, but she would be the first to agree with me that you have to be stopped. Your little 'don't hurt the host' trick might work with Kent and Luthor, but by the gods it won't work with me."

But before Seto could strike again, Isobel waved her hand and Seto was thrown across the room and slammed into the wall. He lost his grip on the Rod, where it clattered across the floor and rolled under the collapsed chair. Blinking stars out of his eyes and ignoring the new throbbing in his back, shoulder, and head, Seto struggled to his feet and grabbed his knife. Isobel didn't waste time and slammed him against the wall again and held him there, but this time Seto clutched his knife with all of his might. While he may be new to using the Sennen Rod, the blade was as familiar to him as the locket around his neck. While the Dragon Duelist was concentrated on breaking Isobel's hold, he heard her shriek and suddenly he was free and landed hard on the floor.

Blinking away sweat, he looked up to see a bloodied Kuriboh attacking Isobel's arm. Pushing aside his muddled of confused thoughts of why the Kuriboh's contact with the opponent didn't cause it to explode, Seto took advantage of the distraction to charge Isobel. But he had hesitated too long. Isobel threw off the fuzz ball and turned to Seto and hit him with a wave of power that smashed him against the wall again. This was enough for Seto's abused and exhausted body and against his will, darkness swallowed the CEO whole.

****

Consciousness seeped in slowly, like trickles of water through soil. Seto managed to crack his eyes open partway, and through a haze saw Lang—no, Isobel—bending over him. He felt fingers combing through his hair and frowned, not quite being able to summon the energy to try to escape. It was then that he shifted his arms and discovered that they seemed to be restricted in movement. Gentle tugging revealed that cloth had been wrapped around his wrists and tied to some sort of metal pole…a bedpost. That confirmed the soft cushiony material he felt underneath him. He was tied to a bed. Somewhere in the back of his mind it registered that this wasn't a desirable position to be in, but for some reason he couldn't understand why. In fact, he suddenly found that he was unable to keep his eyes open and let them drift shut.

A low chuckle washed over him and the fingers that had been tangling in his hair suddenly clenched and Seto tensed as the fingers yanked painfully on his locks, just short of pulling out strands. The fingers drifted down, tracing his jaw line and brushing against the bruises on his chin, traveling upwards and caressing his cheeks and nose. He was so distracted that he barely noticed that her other hand was teasing open the buttons on his shirt.

_I should move. I **need **to move._

But he couldn't. It was as if there was a barrier between his rational thoughts and having him have absolute command over his body. As he felt goose bumps rise on his skin as his chest was exposed to the air, he felt the fingers on his face still and move away, as did the hand on his chest.

"Aw, it seems like someone already broke you in for me," Isobel sulked. "Such a shame, I had so many plans."

Seto's breath caught in his throat as one of Isobel's nails dug into one of his scars. He never thought he'd be glad to have them—and he still wasn't—but at least it had interfered with some of the bitch's plans.

_Fuck, I have got to get out of here!_

But why couldn't he? The cloth straps were only on his wrists, his legs weren't restrained in any way, and yet he couldn't summon the energy to move, let alone open his eyes. He felt Isobel place her hands firmly on his chest and had a second to sense her hot breath on his skin before cool wet touched his scar He cringed as shock and disgust gave him the energy to open his eyes.

_Did she just _lick_ me?_

He felt bile rise in his throat as he saw Isobel's head nearly touching his chest.

_Oh my God, she licked me. She _**licked**_ me!_

"Yeh git th' hell away fro' meh, yeh ganky header doxie!"

Isobel froze. "What?"

Seto bared his teeth at her. "Yeh heard meh, yeh brasser! Git yer boggy hooves offa meh!"

Isobel narrowed her eyes. "I've lost my taste for you, Coal-Cracker."

"Kiss meh arse, bitch."

Her face twisted in her rage and she pulled something out of the pocket of her jeans. It was Seto's knife. "Say that again," She hissed, eyes flashing.

Seto grinned at her. "So yeh donnae like to hear what yeh really were now, do yeh? That yer mader was a whore and yer fader a one-time cust'mer, eh? An' we all know what whores breed, 'specially wit' der bastard children." He paused for dramatic effect and his wolf's grin widened. "More whores."

With a scream of rage Isobel raised the knife and for one, terrifying second Seto thought she was going to stab him (because, gods damn it, he was not going to be killed by a psychotic bitch) but instead nearly knocked him out again by backhanding him with the pommel. The force of the strike made his body twist on the bed, and the only reason he didn't fall off was because of his bindings. The blow stunned Seto and knocked the wind out of him. While he was concentrating on trying to breathe through the pain and not to black out again, he faintly was aware of Isobel carving something over his heart.

When she finished she bent over him and felt the hot breath from her whisper in his ear. "Since you're so enticing, I'm going to be nice and give you one last chance. Cross me again and I will do something that will leave you in agony for the rest of your pathetic, miserable life."

Seto would have snarled something back, but he was still teetering on the edge of unconsciousness, so he said nothing. Isobel took this as his agreement.

"Good. Now you are going to do as I say. If you perform to my satisfactions, then I will let you go and concentrate on that girl's power instead. She'd even be easier to deal with, since she doesn't have as many defenses as you."

This made Seto snap back a bit more into awareness. If that bitch thought he was going to follow any of her orders—

She straightened so that she was standing right above him. "Since you're so convinced that I'm a whore, I'm going to make you into one. Now kiss me."

She was insane. There was no other explanation for it. Seto had once made a list of the top ten items he would never, ever do under any circumstances. Having sex with the enemy had made it to the top ten items he would, never, ever even _consider_ doing.

It took a bit to gather moisture in his mouth to reply. What he was going to do next was probably suicide, but he didn't care at the moment. Isobel recoiled as he spat at her, his spittle landing right on her cheek. His lips twisted in disgust and she wiped at it with the back of the hand that didn't hold the knife.

"You loathsome, foul creature!" She shrieked.

"That's what it says on my business card." Seto ignored the pain from his throat and cheekbone that spiked when he spoke. His face was going to be a mass of bruises for a while, but it was so worth it to see the witch turn purple with rage.

"I've had enough of you!" She placed her free hand on the carving she had made over his heart and cried terrible, grating words that burned Seto's ears. He screamed at the sudden pain that accompanied the spell. It felt like she was tearing his heart and soul apart. Minutes passed like days and he was panting when the pain finally ceased. Then he was shocked into speechlessness when there was an eerie silence in his head. All throughout his ordeal, his dragons had been growling and roaring at the pain their master had been experiencing and urging Seto to call them (Seto had resisted because if he called his dragons, the Sullivans would be left homeless). But now, he wished he had. It was as if they were gone. He couldn't feel them anymore, and the realization made him ache even more than his physical wounds.

"What…did…you…do?" he gasped.

Isobel smirked, and Seto half expected to see a forked tongue hiss from her mouth. "I stole your magic."

"You _what_?" _Oh gods, please, no. Anything but that._

Her smile stretched, and Seto wanted to strangle her. Just wrap his fingers around her throat and squeeze—

He tugged fruitlessly at his bonds and was surprised as hell when he heard fabric rip and the cloth gave. He sprang from the bed and tackled Isobel, knocking her to the floor. She had somehow kept her grip on his knife and tried to stab him, but he avoided it easily and picked her up by her shirt and slammed her against the wall. She cried out and he did it again. And once more until she slumped in his grip. Whether she was unconscious or dead, Seto didn't particularly care as he threw her to the floor and stumbled back against the opposite wall as the adrenaline rush faded and left him feeling as weak as coffee from a diner. As he watched her, her chest rose and fell, so he guessed she was alive. She might have some brain damage from the blows, but it could even improve Lang's personality, which was sickeningly sweet and too ingrained into the "Damsel in Distress" role. It even seemed that she enjoyed that role, which made Seto sneer at the thought.

Seto leaned heavily against the wall, trying to regain his breath. He stared at the unconscious form of Isobel, her hand still loosely clutching his knife. He clenched his hands into fists and forced himself to stand and walked over to the girl, kicking the knife out of her hand. He didn't want to touch her, even if she was harmless now. He almost laughed at that. Harmless. He wondered what she would do with his magic. He wondered if she now heard his dragons in her head. Would they communicate with her as they had with him? Could they speak to her at all? Were they…._hers _now? He almost vomited at the thought. Those were his dragons. _His._ No one else's. Never. And by the gods, he was going to get them back. Whatever it may take, they were going to be his again. They _weren't_ hers, they were _never_ hers, and they _never would be_ hers.

Seto shuddered as the pain grew worse and wrapped a protective arm around his ribs, stumbling backwards until his back rested against the wall again. He closed his eyes as he shook, just concentrating on breathing. He didn't want to think about how his Deck was now dead weight in his pocket, as if it had lost its meaning and its heart now belonged to—oh gods. It would **NEVER** belong to her. He'd sooner burn it. The aching pain constricted in his chest and he gasped aloud and focused on breathing.

_Breathe in…breathe out. Breathe in…breathe out. One breath at a time. As long as you can breathe, you can still stop her. Just take one breath at a time._

There was carpet underneath the hand not wrapped around his torso and he wondered when he had sat on the floor. He wondered how long he'd been out and when he looked out the window, it was dusk, but he didn't remember what the sky looked like when he first discovered Isobel. Had it been afternoon or morning?

As he sat there, the door creaked and began to open and Seto started, scrambling to his feet, searching for a weapon and then remembering too late that the only weapon he had was on the floor near Isobel on the opposite side of the room. He was getting ready to dash for it when whoever had disturbed the door walked in. Seto let out a breath of relief and sat back down on the carpet. It was just the Kuriboh.

It was a mess. Its fur was even wilder than usual and blood had dried on it, matting the fur. Its eyes were half-closed from weariness and it favored its right leg. When it saw Seto, it chirped and half-bounced, half-limped over to him. It snuggled against his side and Seto stroked its fur, not caring when his fingers brushed dried blood.

"I thought Kuribohs self-destructed on contact with the enemy," Seto murmured to it, his voice still hoarse from Isobel trying to strangle him.

It smiled at him and Seto laughed, but stopped before it could turn into a sob. The Kuriboh merely pressed closer to him.

"I guess there are always exceptions to every rule. You look like I feel," Seto whispered to it.

Its response was to purr and Seto closed his eyes, and, despite himself, he felt just a little bit better.

"I wish you didn't have to get hurt. I'd heal you, but apparently I'm out of magic and I have no idea where Ryou is."

It chirruped weakly at him and after a moment, pulled away from the Dragon Duelist and limped over to Isobel. It picked up the knife Seto had kicked away and to Seto's amazement, cut Isobel's arm with it. It hobbled back to Seto and tossed the knife at his feet.

"What do you want me to do?" Seto rasped.

It jerked its heard towards Isobel, then looked pointedly at the knife, and then at Seto. Seto blinked.

"You want me to kill her?"

The Kuriboh shook its head violently. It picked up the knife and pantomimed cutting itself with it, and then jerked its head towards Isobel again.

"You want me to cut myself with it go over to her—Isobel?" Seto made himself say the bitch's name. He was _not _going to be afraid to say her name.

The Kuriboh nodded and Seto looked at it for a long time.

"You're crazy," Seto told it flatly. "But, I must be crazier because I'm listening to you." He rolled up his long sleeve and picked up the knife making a shallow cut in his arm. He stood slowly, feeling every ache and pain from his fight and walked over to Isobel. "Now what?" he asked the Kuriboh. The Kuriboh took Seto's arm gently in its claws and pressed his arm against Isobel's so that their blood mixed. Seto gasped as he felt fire race into his arm and circulate throughout his body. It burned from his throat all the way down to his toes. It was like being born again and he laughed as he heard the roar of triumph from his dragons. The hollow space in his torso was gone, filled to the brim with scales and wings and fire. Seto glanced down at his chest and was gladdened to see that the rune Isobel had carved over his heart had vanished. He didn't want another scar. After a moment, the Kuriboh released his arm and Seto stood and stepped away as Isobel's eyes fluttered.

Only it wasn't Isobel anymore. It was Lang.

Lang groaned as she regained consciousness and rubbed her hand over her face, slowly getting to her feet. "Wh—what happened?" She asked herself (not having seen Seto yet), her voice thick.

Seto felt a cold shiver run down his back. Isobel or no, he did not want to be around Lang ever again even if he was in a crowd of a thousand bodyguards. He wanted to get away from her now. Looking down at himself, he quickly rolled down his sleeve, concealing the cut and buttoned up his shirt, straightening himself so that he was mostly presentable. All he wanted right now was some ice for his cheekbone, ribs, back, and head, which all throbbed angrily.

Lang's eyes widened as she glimpsed Seto. "Ryuujin? What happened to you? What's going on? How did I get here? Last I remember I was walking to the Talon. Were we attacked?"

"Isobel—" Seto coughed as he realized his voice was still hoarse and it still hurt to talk. He swallowed, which did no good, and decided to continue speaking anyways. "Isobel took over your body and came to this house to steal my magic. I managed to overcome her."

"By doing what? Oh, my head." Her face contorted in pain and she gingerly touched the back of her head. Lang stared at Seto as she probably felt the giant goose egg where Seto had slammed her skull against the wall. "You didn't do this, did you?"

"Why wouldn't I have any reason not to? You attacked me. I merely defended myself. You know as well as I do how dangerous Isobel is. And why weren't you surprised when I told you I had magic"

"Chloe told me. And of course I know how dangerous she is! But—" Before she could continue what she was going to say, Lang stiffened and her eyes rolled up into her head and she fell with a thud to the floor.

Seto blinked. _What in the hell—?_

The door to the room was thrown open and Sullivan-san, Chloe, and Ryou piled in.

"Ah, here comes the cavalry. About ten minutes too late, that is. Wonderful timing you all have," Seto spat.

"What happened to you?" Ryou asked, concerned.

"What happened to that fluffy ball thing?" Sullivan inquired.

"What wrong with Lana? What did you do to her?" Chloe raged.

"What did_ I_ do her?" Seto sputtered. "What about what the fuck she did to _me_!"

As Chloe rushed over to aid her friend, Ryou and Sullivan approached Seto like one would approach a sleeping dragon when they wanted to steal from its treasure hoard.

"What happened to your face? To your voice?" Ryou asked.

Seto narrowed his eyes. "That _person_ Sullivan is so worried about tried to strangle me."

"What? Lana would never—" But something made Chloe stop what she was going to say. "Damn it, it was Isobel, wasn't it? Always, it's her. She never _stops_."

"Be thankful I was in the house before you. Isobel set a trap for you," Seto snarled.

"What?" Chloe yelped.

"You heard me. She specifically said that she 'set a trap for the daughter.'"

"What would she want with me?" Chloe asked.

Seto shrugged, although he had an inkling of what it was. Isobel wanted Chloe's Shadow magic. What else would it be?

"Ryuujin, what happened?" Sullivan-san urged.

"First of all, what happened to you? I came back to retrieve my cell phone and I saw you lying on the floor. Be glad she didn't kill you."

"All I know is that one minute I'm about to make myself lunch, the next I'm waking up to a wrecked kitchen. And you look like you just had several brawls in a biking bar. Did you have a fight with her?"

"Of course I put up a fight. Would you expect less?"

Ryou frowned as he knelt down to inspect Lang. "She's unconscious. Has she woken or has she been like this ever since you knocked her out?" He asked Seto.

"She woke for a few minutes. She seemed lucid."

"Well, that's good. She probably has a concussion. I'd get her to the hospital as soon as possible." He then spoke to Seto quietly so the others couldn't hear. "She feels like…like her soul was almost swallowed by Am'mit. You didn't play a penalty game with her, did you?"

"No," Seto gritted his teeth. He abruptly switched to Japanese. "She tried to steal my magic, Ryou. Did steal my magic. I managed to get it back."

Ryou gaped at him. "She—she…wow. Um, by doing that, Ryuujin, you probably saved her soul."

"What?"

Chloe traded gazes with her father. "Do you have any idea what they're saying?"

Sullivan-san shook his head. "My Japanese is worse than your French."

"Well, that's perfect!" Chloe threw up her hands in frustration.

The Duelists ignored them. Ryou took a breath. "Our magic is like—um, how do I explain this?" He thought for a moment. "Ok, our magic is like a jet engine. Strong, powerful, but only compatible for a plane. You take that same engine and put it in a car and no matter how powerful the car, with a lot of luck, the car may run for a while, but it won't be able to handle the engine for long. The same situation happened to Isobel. If the soul can't handle magic, especially our magic, the Shadows will swallow the soul, because that's what they do. That's their nature. By taking your magic back before the Shadows had enough time to swallow anything, you saved Lang. She's just suffering from exhaustion at trying to fight it off. A good night's rest and no strenuous exercise for a few days should have her back to normal." He then muttered, "With the concussion, however…"

"Oh, great, so I'm a fucking hero now," Seto spat.

"I'm afraid so, Ryuujin."

"Well, I don't care. I'm out of here." He looked down at the still injured Kuriboh. "Stay with Ryou. He'll heal you." With that, Seto pushed past Sullivan-san and Chloe and walked as quickly as he could to get out of the house.

He heard footsteps after him (probably Chloe's) and a low voice urging her to stop, which she did. Good. He didn't want to deal with anyone right now. He left the Sullivan's property and started to walk, not having a destination in mind and deciding that he didn't care.

After some time had passed, he heard footsteps approach from behind him and tensed, hand going to the knife in his pocket.

"Ryuujin! I just got a call from Chloe and—"

It was Kent. Fuck. Seto whirled to face him and his lips lifted into a snarl. "I don't want to deal with you right now. Go away before I do something you'll regret."

"Jesus, Ryuujin, what happened to you?" Kent reached out a hand towards Seto's injuries and Seto ducked away.

"Ask your bitch of a girlfriend," Seto spat. "Apparently she took some classes in sadism and bondage. I'd be careful before turning my back on her." He started to walk past Kent when Kent grabbed his shoulder, which was still tender from being slammed into a wall.

"You will not talk about Lana that—"

Kent didn't have a chance to finish his threat before Seto twisted and swept his leg over Kent's ankles, knocking the teen to the ground. He easily pinned Kent to the ground and held his knife at Kent's throat, which glowed from the Dragon Duelist's magic.

"I stopped Bakura from killing you before, but never ask for favors twice from me," Seto hissed. "Do _not_ cross me." Seto pressed the knife into Kent's sweating neck, just short of drawing blood. He held the knife in that position for just a few seconds more and then took it away and getting off of Kent. He replaced the knife back in his pocket and went on his way, leaving Kent gasping on the ground, rubbing his throat.

If there was any time Seto considered getting drunk, it was then. He only was able to walk for twenty minutes before he had to rest, leaning against a tree. He blinked when a black Corvette pulled up next to him and the driver's window rolled down. It was Luthor.

"Want a ride?"

Seto rolled his eyes, "I'm sure you have plenty to do other than drive around giving rides to teenagers."

"And I'm sure you need a ride to the hospital. You look like you just tangled with a hurricane and lost. Your voice sounds terrible. Get in."

Seto gritted his teeth, but he was too tired to argue. He pushed himself off the tree and got into Luthor's car. "I didn't lose. You should see the god damned hurricane."

"Who was it?" Luthor asked as he drove.

"Lang."

Luthor stared at him. "You got into a fight with Lana?"

"You don't happen to know about her 'other side' now, do you?"

The knuckles on Luthor's hand turned white as he gripped the steering wheel with a little more force than necessary. "You're talking about Isobel. What did she want?"

"Sullivan. I got in the way."

Luthor frowned. "Why did she want Chloe?"

Seto shrugged.

"Maybe it was because she used Chloe before."

"What do you mean?" _Kent didn't mention this._

"When Isobel first emerged, she enchanted Chloe and a woman named Lois Lane to inhabit the souls of the other two witches that were burned along with her. They were just as sadistic as she was, but she was their leader. They haven't shown up again like Isobel has, but Isobel was probably trying to rally her forces again. Good thing Lois is out of town." He looked at Seto curiously. "How did you stop her?"

"I knocked her out so that Lang was able to take back control."

"You didn't hurt her badly, I hope."

"Probably gave her a concussion. I don't really care."

Luthor's eyes narrowed, but he didn't comment.

"That's a better reaction than Kent's explosion. Let me tell you something, Luthor. I'm not noble. I'm not a fucking hero. When someone hits me, I hit back so they don't have a chance of hitting me again. And maybe I hit them once more to teach them a lesson. I don't liked being fucked with and I make sure everyone knows that. If you're going to lecture me on morality and how I shouldn't hit the supposed 'weaker sex' then you can stop this car right now so I can get out. And I especially don't give a damn if the person is possessed because if I go easy on them, that means they win."

Luthor's mouth tightened into a thin line. "You sound like my father."

Seto smirked.

****

The doctor gave him some ice packs and pain killers. Luckily, Seto was just a mass of bruises and nothing was broken or dislocated. The worst injury was that he had a concussion, which just meant that he had to "take it easy" for a few days and get lots of rest. It wasn't too serious that he had to be woken up every couple of hours, but it was enough that the doctor told him to go to the emergency room immediately if there was any vomiting. Seto snorted mentally at the idea of rest. He didn't have time for rest. Luthor was even kind enough to take him home, although Seto suspected Luthor just wanted to scourge some more information on him. He successfully dodged each of Luthor's subtle questioning and left the man baffled as he got out of the Corvette and entered the Sullivan's home.

He only paused a bit in the kitchen to collect his Rod underneath the wreck of a chair before shutting himself in the room he was staying in. As it was, he didn't sleep that night, but chose to catch up on work. And if he let the Kuriboh curl up against him while typing on his laptop, well, that was his business. And if Chloe commented the next morning on how he looked exhausted (read: "Jesus, you look like shit, Ryuujin!") then she probably needed glasses.

"Lana's going to be in the hospital for another night for observation. She had bruises everywhere and her hands were slightly burned. Know anything about that?" Chloe asked over her steaming mug of coffee.

Seto grunted and Chloe rolled her eyes.

"It's not as if Lana's going to press charges on anything."

Seto choked on his coffee. "_Her?_ Press charges? She's lucky _I_ don't burn her at the stake on what she did to me."

Chloe winced. "Bad word choice, Webster. And what did she do to you? Besides use your face for a punching bag?"

_Damn._ Seto stayed silent.

"You know, it helps to talk about it."

"Don't you _dare_ play therapist with me, Sullivan. And don't act like you're my so-called _friend_, because you aren't. So leave me alone."

Chloe glared at him. "I get you don't want to talk, fine. But I will find ways to make you less PTSD."

Seto smirked. Maybe he should wish her some of the inu make's luck. She'd need all she could get.

__

Seto rolled his eyes as Chloe (in a fashion eerily similar to Mokuba's) tugged him along behind her, claiming she needed his help on her chemistry project. He knew what she was really doing, of course. He wasn't blind. She had assumed that after the disturbing encounter with the witch Isobel he needed some of what Americans called "down-time", whatever the fuck that meant. According to Chloe's stutters and Sullivan-san's amused jokes, it seemed to involve sitting in a plastic chair on a beach and gazing at the sunset while drinking cocktails. As to how that image was connected with chemistry, Seto had no idea and didn't want to waste valuable time figuring it out. Instead, he seemed to be wasting time "helping" Chloe with an inane chemistry project that Mokuba could do in his sleep.

Well, if he was going to suffer, he shouldn't be the only one. Which was why he had seized the back of Bakura's jacket as they trudged through the streets heading towards Smallville High. Besides, the thief looked as if he was up to picking some more pockets, and in a small town like Smallville where everyone knew everyone's business, it was guaranteed the thief would be discovered. And it would be terribly inconvenient for the Rogue Duelist to show up with her Deck and Ryou not be able to provide backup because he was rotting in jail. And despite his dragons muffled snorts of amusement and grins of suspicion, he was not doing this for Ryou's benefit.

And as soon as they reached the chemistry lab and Chloe started to organize the ingredients for her lab experiment, Seto instantly regretted dragging Bakura along. He stared in dumb amazement and horror as the former tomb robber took over the chemistry lab, setting up various beakers, Erlen Myler flasks, and Bunsen burners on an empty desk with Petri dishes and pipettes. The white-haired teen flittered from cabinet to cabinet, taking out various chemicals and mixing them, all with a maniacal grin on his face. Chloe stood a row away, mouth agape as she watched Bakura run around like a Duelist in a rare card shop.

Seto's eyes darted back and forth as he cataloged each chemical Bakura took out and the amount Bakura mixed in the various beakers. He didn't even bother to tell the white-haired teen that it wasn't such a smart idea to heat the beakers directly on the Bunsen burner. When nothing seemed to be happening to the mixture, Bakura soon lost interest and set up another one, starting with water for the base. Then he grabbed some sodium and grinned as he fished out a large chunk. Seto's eyes widened as Bakura headed back towards the beaker.

Seto slowly lowered himself behind the feeble cover a nearby desk offered.

"Duck," he said quietly to Chloe, who had been standing next to him.

"What?" she asked.

"Duck," he repeated.

Chloe blinked at him, and then threw herself to the floor as Bakura dropped the sodium into the beaker. There was a loud _bang_ that shook the classroom and Seto's vision went white.

Seto came to himself and discovered that he was lying flat on his back and looking up at the ceiling. He blinked a few times to compose himself and sat up slowly, just avoiding hitting his head on the underside of the partially collapsed desk he had been sheltering under. Chloe was lying on the ground beside him covered with white plaster, blinking as her shock wore off. Seto got up and straightened his slightly scorched clothing and brushed off the bits of plaster that coated him as he looked around the classroom.

It was completely decimated. Many of the desks and chairs were in pieces and there were scotch marks on the walls and ceiling. The beakers had broken into large shards of glass and some of the windows were cracked. The cabinets that had held other chemicals were in splinters, the jars holding the chemicals broken on the floor, with the liquids spreading onto the hard tiles. Small fires were scattered throughout the area. The entire classroom was dusted with plaster that looked like ash. The scene looked like a sketchy reenactment of the destruction of Pompeii.

Seto spotted Bakura sitting up against the wall of the lab where he had been thrown from the explosion. His clothes were smoking and stained with chemicals and his face had black smudges on it. His hair was spikier than ever and glittering from broken bits of glass. Bakura's eyes were wide and he still wore a maniacal grin.

"_Sugoi,_" he breathed and then turned his gaze on Seto, who was still trying to brush the plaster off his black jacket. "Priest! Now you're going to have to teach me how to make a cocktail bomb!"

Seto glared at him. How Bakura had found out he possessed that knowledge he will never know. How he even leaped to the conclusion was beyond Seto. "Never. You seem to do fine when left to your own devices."

"The only problem with that, Ryuujin," he snickered as he said Seto's code name, "Ryuujin, how fitting a name for you, Priest. Anyways, the only problem with that is I lost track of what I was mixing."

"And good riddance to that, you little white rat," Chloe growled.

Bakura's eyes narrowed.

"Not mention the amount of shit you're going to be in once everyone has realized what you've done," Seto added casually. "You've just destroyed school property. There are consequences for that."

As if on cue, several teachers and the vice principal and the principal rushed into the room, exclaiming about the destruction.

"Who is responsible for this?" the principal thundered over the hubbub.

Seto and Chloe both spoke in unison, "He is." They gestured to Bakura as he tried to brush the ash off of his shirt.

"Does he even go to this school?" The principal asked Seto and Chloe.

"No. His father's here researching the caves," Seto informed her.

"We just…um….wanted to keep him busy," Chloe fabricated.

"Well, you certainly did! Does he know anything about chemistry? Why didn't you stop him before he got this far?"

"To have done so would have been suicide," Seto said bluntly.

"Are you alluding that this boy is a juvenile delinquent?" The vice-principal asked.

"Oh, no, not at all! What Ryuujin meant was…that Bakura was so into the chemicals that by the time we realized what was going on, the sodium was already heading towards the water. If we had attempted to stop him, we-we…we would have gotten caught in the explosion." Chloe stammered as she explained.

"So who is going to pay for restoring the chemistry lab?" the chemistry teacher huffed.

Seto decided to be somewhat generous at this moment. "I have a close friend at a company called Kaiba Corporation in Japan. Since Bakura's father is an archeologist and does not make that much money, they would be willing to cover the cost." He ignored Bakura's expression of surprise.

"How do you know this?" the principal asked.

"It's a very close friend," Seto affirmed.

"How will we know that the donation is guaranteed?"

"Give me a day and I can get you into contact with the vice president," Seto smirked.

The faculty gaped. "You must have very good connections with Kaiba Corporation. That's a multi-billion dollar company."

Bakura looked like he was about to burst into laughter, but Seto quickly shot him a glare that said 'say anything and the deal is off.' Bakura quickly controlled himself.

"Well, if everything's settled, let's go." Seto quickly exited the chemistry lab with a bewildered Chloe and a chuckling Bakura.

"Since when did you have connections with one of the biggest gaming companies in the world?" Chloe gaped.

"I'm very high up in the technical department there."

Bakura looked like he was going to laugh again so Seto elbowed him in the ribs and glared at him and spoke in Japanese. "This was not a gesture of good-will. This was in exchange for the other deal we spoke of."

Bakura glared. "You can't exchange one deal for another!"

"Would you rather Ryou's father be beggared? That was thousands of dollars of damage in there from your stupidity! It's this deal or in a few weeks you're living on the streets."

Bakura was silent for a long time. "Fine. But don't think I won't try to do what you promised."

"No, but you attempting to rob Kaiba Corporation just got even more difficult," Seto hissed back.

"You know, I hate it when you do this," Chloe grumbled.

"And I don't care," Seto said back to her in English.

"Of course you don't, but you are still going to help me on my chem project and we are not taking the little white rat along for the ride!"

"That's fine with me," Seto agreed.

"As if my participation in your little experiment was voluntary anyways," Bakura scoffed and stalked off.

"It's hard to tell which one of you is worse tempered," Chloe mused. "And why does he call you 'priest' anyways. You're less of a priest than I am."

Seto smirked at her. "The difference between Bakura's and my tempers is that he'll kill you at the drop of a hat while I think about it first."

Chloe eyed him out of the corner of her eye for the rest of the day.

**A/N:**

Ok, some of you are probably going "aroo?" at Seto's radical change in dialogue during the time Isobel captured him, and then the switch back to normal. I have thought a lot about this moment and yes it does ties in with Seto's heritage and family background. There is also a lovely movie called Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb where the basic plotline is that the world is going to end because someone set off a Doomsday machine. In this hilarious comedy, it shows that people under lots of stress revert to their inner selves, who they really see themselves as or who they used to be. Now since I've taken liberties with Seto's background (and this has taken a hell of a lot of thought and mental planning) I decided to add clues as to who he was raised by and why he doesn't look Japanese. I apologize if I offend anyone with the badly written accent. I have been to Ireland and I've took what I heard there and also what the main singer's voice in Flogging Molly sounds like and tried to create an accent. It's less than perfect and I hope it's understandable. If anyone has any questions as to what the hell Seto is saying, email me.

And whether Seto's accusations of Isobel are true, I think they are. While the show blatantly destroyed all the history around the witch burnings (since most, if not all, female burnings were of old--possibly ugly--lone women) the reasont hat someone as young as Isobel was rooted out was because she was perhaps she was not as puritan as the other villagers or her birth is questionable (for more indepth study of how a Puritan society can ne horrible to someone who does something disgraceful, read the Scarlet Letter). I think that perhqaps Isobel's mother was a whore, which is why Isobel is so bitter against everyone (besides the whole burning part).

**Irish Slang Dictionary: Note, these are all nouns, even though I used them as adjectives**

**Brasser **(n): woman of ill repute, who charges but a brass coin for her services

**Doxie** (n): a lady of the night who plies her trade on the docks

**Ganky** (n): ugly, unpleasant woman (Co. Cork)

**Header** (n): nutcase, unstable person

**Japanese Dictionary:**

**Sugoi:** awesome (or awful, but in this case I meant awesome)


	11. The Not Quite Calm Before the Storm

**A/N: **So...its been a while, hasn't it? The symbols are not exactly the same since the program uses doesn't like my arrows anymore. _Italics _mean thought and the new scene change is "_**0-0-0-0**_". That's easy enough, right?**

* * *

**

Chapter 10: The Not_ Quite _Calm Before the Storm

* * *

"Hey, I'm going to visit Lana! Anyone wanna come with?" Seto heard Chloe shout through the house. He continued to type on his laptop, pretending that he hadn't heard her statement. He also ignored the Kuriboh gazing pitifully at him. He heard her footsteps thud up the stairs and she opened his door. "Did you hear what I said?" 

"Yes."

"So what's your answer?"

"If I did not immediately leap to my feet and run down the stairs or shout for you to wait for me, what do you think my answer is?" Seto said without looking up from his laptop.

Chloe glared at him. "A simple 'no' would have been sufficient."

Seto rolled his eyes. "Go on and visit your possessed friend without me. I'm not interested. I doubt she'd want to see me anyways, since I'm the reason she ended up in the hospital."

"Lana can be a forgiving person. God knows she gave Clark enough chances."

"Forgiveness is not the issue."

"The hell it isn't! Damn it, Ryuujin, it wasn't her and you know it! Stop acting like it was Lana who attacked you!"

Seto stood up furiously, taking two strides to stare down at Chloe. "Has Lang ever attacked you when Isobel possessed her? Has she?"

Chloe swallowed. "No. The only time I was around Lana when she was Isobel I was possessed too."

"Who was your victim?"

Chloe bit her lip. "Clark."

"Then he must be a better person than I am, to forgive you like that. But in my world, even if the person didn't know what they were doing doesn't excuse or condone their actions. I neither want nor need Lang's forgiveness, and I don't want to bestow my forgiveness upon her." He turned away from Chloe and went back to sitting on his bed and typing on his laptop. "Now leave."

Without another word, Chloe turned on her heel and left.

Seto continued to type on his laptop when he was interrupted by an "Owooo?"

He looked at the Kuriboh, who was staring at him, its eyes wider than ever and even _glistening_. The pair stared at each other for a good three minutes until Seto looked away.

"For the sake of the gods," Seto snarled underneath his breath as the Kuriboh squealed with joy.

**_0-0-0-0_**

"You know what's really weird? I remember certain events and I know this sounds crazy, but I swear to God that Ryuujin was speaking in a heavy Irish accent."

Chloe raised an eyebrow. "You're kidding."

"You think I could make this up? I swear he was using words like "brasser" and "doxie". I looked them up, and they aren't flattering Irish slang, I can tell you that."

"But he said that his grandmother was American," Chloe said slowly.

"That's a poor explanation if I ever heard one. He's at least half Irish," Lana confirmed. "If he can use Irish slang like he's been using it all his life, he's at least half Irish."

"Then why would he lie about his heritage?"

"When has he not lied? He lied about what I did to him, or at least he didn't tell you what I did to him," Lana's voice grew thick with unshed tears.

"Lana you didn't do anything to him. It was all Isobel. You can't blame yourself for this," Chloe reassured her.

"You didn't see him!" Lana cried, tears pouring down her face. "He w-was so scared. He was trying to hide it, but you could see it in his eyes. When she raised his knife, he was t-terrified. I-I didn't know what to do, so I tried, j-just a little bit, to use her magic. I just wanted to give him a ch-chance to escape, so I got him free. I made the fabric rip just enough so that he could run. And I deserved what he did to her—to me. You d-d-don't know what sh-she was going to do to him. She was going to—going to—oh, God," She broke off into a sob, hiding her face in her hands.

"Lana, it's not your fault," Chloe hugged her friend.

"No, no it is. If-if I had been stronger, she couldn't have taken over me. It's my fault, all my fault."

"Lana, you couldn't have been able to stop her."

"You don't understand! No one understands!" Lana cried.

"Lana, what am I not understanding? Please, tell me."

Lana hiccupped and took several deep breaths before she spoke again. "Chloe, Isobel gets all of her ideas from me. I had a crush on Ryuujin, and because I did, Isobel was attracted to him. It's all my fault. She told me that I 'would be able to fulfill my desires after all'. Oh god, oh god, oh god. It's all my fault."

"Lana, just because you had a little crush on that bastard doesn't mean that this instigated Isobel to be a psycho bitch. She's attacked people before."

"But not like this. Even those men she killed in China didn't suffer as much as he did. She wanted to break him, Chloe. She wanted to break him so that she could make him her little slave. And you know what the worse part is?" Lana's voice carried off into a whisper.

Chloe looked as if she didn't want to know, but she took one look at Lana's red and blotchy tear-stained face, tangled brown hair, deep shadows underneath her eyes, and trembling hands hidden inside of the sleeves of her hospital gown and asked, "What?"

"I think it's been done to him before."

It was clear that Chloe couldn't think of anything to say, so she just hugged her friend even tighter.

Just outside of Lana's door, Seto sighed heavily, squared his shoulders, and walked away.

He exited the hospital and continued walking down the sidewalk, heading for the park. He didn't want to go into the Sullivan's home just yet, and it was just chilly enough to guarantee that the parents and their children would be at home and the park would be mostly empty. He reached the tiny community park (it had a slide, a jungle gym, and two swings and a small sandbox) and leaned against an oak tree, gazing over the empty park.

"You suck at shadowing people. Here's a tip: when you see twigs, step over them," Seto spoke to the person behind him. "Now go away, Kent."

Kent stepped into Seto's peripheral view. "I'm not until you tell me what's going on."

Seto raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

Kent moved until he was standing in front of the Duelist and crossed his arms over his chest. "Don't think I haven't put it together. You and Ryou are duelists. Chloe tells me that there have been Duel Monsters showing up here; although I have no idea how I've missed them. Chloe says that you dueled one of them. You even have one of the monsters living with you! Although, from what Chloe has told me, it seems to be harmless, even affectionate. This all seems to be leading up to something and you know what it is."

"Tell me, Kent, why did you want to search for the third stone?"

Kent's eyes narrowed. "Don't you dare try to change the subject."

Seto smirked. "You have your secrets, and I have mine. Good-bye, Kent." Seto straightened and walked past Kent, ignoring the teen's glare.

"My secrets aren't going to endanger innocents, Ryuujin! These are real monsters you're talking about, and people will get caught in the crossfire!" Kent shouted at Seto's back.

"That's not my problem."

He heard Kent take a step forward. "You son-of-a-bitch! How can you say something like that?"

"Easily. I just did." Seto turned and smirked at Kent again. "Good thing there's always someone idiotic like you around to care about them. I say that if they're not smart enough to get out of the way, they deserve to get hit."

Kent snarled and stepped forward again and Seto shifted his weight onto the balls of his feet until a voice stopped both of them.

"Ryuujin-kun, that's enough," Though the command was soft, it carried easily over the empty playground. Kent and Seto both turned towards the Occult Duelist.

"Now, _he_ knows how to shadow," Seto declared.

"And you know how to pick a fight, Ryuujin-kun," Ryou sighed, exasperated.

"I was bored. He was right there. What else did you expect me to do?"

"Ignore him like you usually would?"

Seto inspected his fingernails, "Wasn't in the mood."

"Wait, were you guys meeting here or something?" Kent eyed them suspiciously.

Seto shrugged. They really hadn't, but if there was one thing he'd noticed being around Ryou and Yugi and his friends was that coincidence always seemed to group them together. If Seto were the type to believe in gods and religion, he would have said that Fate had forced them together. Of course, Seto, being who he was, dismissed this idea as complete and utter bullshit.

Ryou opened his mouth, probably to correct Kent's assumption that he had invaded upon a "secret meeting" when Seto narrowed his eyes slightly, making the white-haired teen shut his mouth.

"I believe you have somewhere to be, Kent," Seto said coolly. "Like the hospital to comfort your emotionally traumatized girlfriend who's just discovered that her 'other side' happens to be a bitch fond of S and M."

Kent lunged at Seto with a snarl and Seto flew into action, whipping out the Sennen Rod and quickly empowering it. He ducked Kent's punch and—using the Rod like a club—slammed the Rod into Kent's stomach, making Kent's breath fly out of his lungs. Kent stumbled back a step, clutching his midsection and coughing. Seto shifted his grip on the Rod, but before he could swing the object again, he felt a light but firm grip on his arm.

"That's enough, Ryuujin-kun," Ryou said, voice steady, but his shoulders were tense. Seto stared at him for a moment, and the shorter teen swallowed, but held his ground. Seto stepped back and replaced the Rod behind his back, and Ryou sighed and let his arm fall to his side. "I think you should go, Kent-kun." He was polite and firm, but he also didn't leave Seto's side and assist Kent as the teen slowly walked away with a nervous glance back at the pair.

"I think we've both frightened him for life," Ryou commented, his voice uncharacteristically emotionless.

"Good," Seto snarled. "Why are you here?"

"It just felt like the place to be. You?"

"Wanted to be alone. It failed miserably."

"Kaiba-kun, are you all right?" Ryou asked slowly.

Seto didn't bother to answer and Ryou sighed. They stood in silence under the trees, not looking at anything in particular. A cheerful breeze trailed through, ruffling their clothes and hair. Seto swallowed as he felt the shift in the breeze and the air grew colder. "Ryou, do you feel that?"

Ryou reached inside his pocket and pulled out his Deck, "Yes."

Seto did the same, holding his Deck ready in his hand. "Ready?"

"Always."

The icy breeze disheveled their hair, carrying with it the scent of magic and the whisper of anticipated bloodshed. Ryou shivered, hand grasping the first card on top of his Deck, ready to flip it.

Something moved at the edge of the clearing, hidden in purple shadow. A glint of orange and blue flashed at them, and both Duelists tensed. Suddenly both teens were blasted backwards as a Tornado Giant Bird (1100 ATK/1000 DEF) screamed out of the darkness, its orange and purple plumage as fiery as its temper. At its flank was the Mysterious Puppeteer (1000 ATK /1500 DEF), purple robes shrouding its figure and face as it clutched a hideously grinning wooden doll.

Seto and Ryou picked themselves up from the ground and both drew from their Decks.

"I Summon Masked Dragon!" Seto cried and swallowed, having half a mind to whisper a prayer. Summoning had gotten easier the more he had done it, but with Seto's minute experience, he never knew what might happen. The air shimmered in front of him and the Masked Dragon was there, its pearly white armor contrasting with the exposed pink sinewy muscle. It roared at the Tornado Giant Bird and snatched it in its teeth, shaking it back and forth furiously like a dog with a chew toy. At 1400 Attack points and 1100 Defense points, it easily defeated the Tornado Giant Bird as it shrieked in pain and then disappeared in a cloud of purple-black shadows.

"I Summon The Sealer!" Ryou cried, holding up a card. A man appeared in front of them, clad in a red Japanese kimono and a tall cap, clutching sealing scrolls edged in fire. _Attack 1100, Defense 900,_ Seto thought._ A Dark Magic Messenger with a three star level._

The Sealer held up his scrolls and threw them at the Mysterious Puppeteer, making its robes catch fire and the wooden doll burn to ash. The Puppeteer screamed in pain and disintegrated into purple shadows.

Even though it had appeared that the two Duelists had won, both did not dismiss their monsters as they crouched in anticipation of another attack.

They heard it coming before they saw it. Big clanking steel steps, and from the constant repetitions, it had more feet than two, or even four.

"It sounds like an insect," Seto murmured to Ryou.

Ryou's mouth twisted, "I _hate_ bugs."

Seto raised an eyebrow at him and turned back to the clearing. He could see a glint of a shiny material that seemed metallic. _A metal insect?_ His mental question was answered when it stepped into view. "The Steel-Clad Insect. Attack 2800, Defense 1500."

Ryou snarled something that sounded suspiciously like a curse and Seto raised the other eyebrow.

"You have a stronger monster right in your hand, right?" Ryou asked Seto. "Because I don't."

As soon as the words were out of Ryou's mouth, the insect moved forward and attacked Ryou's Sealer. Ryou cried out in pain and stumbled back as his Sealer echoed his movements and collapsed, disappearing into darkness. Paler than the Blue Eyes' ivory scales, Ryou swallowed hard and forced himself to straighten. "If you have a stronger monster, attack her now," the Occult Duelist rasped.

Seto looked down at his four cards in his hand. He had one monster that could beat the Insect; his Kuchika-Kakachiku, a Water category reptile. _2950 Attack points, 2800 Defense. Perfect._ "I Summon Kuchika-Kakachiku!" Thunder boomed overhead and lighting crackled as the eight-foot scarlet, metal, and spiked monster appeared. Seto let out a long breath and clenched his fists, driving his fingernails into his palms. The pain kept him grounded, kept the blackness out of the edges of his vision. This was the most powerful monster he'd Summoned yet, and he was _not_ going to pass out. The reptilian ran forward and slashed its claws down the insect's back. It let out a high-pitched whistling scream and crumpled to the ground, dissolving into shadows.

Seto waited for a moment with baited breath, trying to see if the Rogue Duelist was going to attack again, but nothing else came. _She's probably had enough for now, and was probably weakened by my attack. _With a wave of his hand he dismissed Kuchika-Kakachiku and put his Deck away. He let out another long breath and looked over at Ryou, who was still paler than was healthy.

"You're not going to faint, are you?" Seto asked.

"If you think I look bad, look in the mirror," Ryou laughed weakly. "Every single time, I forget how much that _hurts_. Especially when it hasn't happened in a while."

_A seven hundred point difference shouldn't hurt that much._ "How long has it been since you played the game like this?"

"Just me with no backseat driving? Never."

_Because Bakura usually takes most of the backlash._ "Why isn't he here now?"

Ryou laughed again, this time his tone was slightly bitter. "He said I needed the experience."

Seto was about to reply when he felt a niggling sense on the back of his neck. He whipped out his switchblade and whirled around, throwing it towards the figure hidden among the trees.

"Whoa!" Luthor's shocked voice came from the trees. "Watch it! I'd rather not get skewered tonight, please." He emerged from the trees, hands held up, Seto's knife gripped loosely in one hand.

"Then don't try and hide from me if you don't want to get hurt." Seto replied dryly. _I don't sense any Shadow magic on him. He must have not visited his experiment in a while._

"I thought you'd be one to attack first and ask questions later," Luthor commented dryly as he handed the switchblade back. Seto tucked it away beside his Deck and eyed Luthor. The man was flushed and slightly out of breath, and not only from Seto's throwing skills, even though Seto had missed the man intentionally. Luthor had seen the Duel.

"How much did you see, Luthor-san?" Ryou asked quietly, having come to the same conclusion as Seto.

Luthor's gaze was steady. "Enough. I'm not entirely sure how you made those things appear out of thin air, but it was very impressive. In fact, those creatures looked a lot like the ones that have been appearing around Smallville and Metropolis recently. You don't know anything about that, do you?"

"You wouldn't believe us," Seto started to turn away.

"I've lived in Smallville for four years. Try me."

Ryou glanced at Seto, silently telling him that Seto could take the reins. Seto, meanwhile, was trying to concentrate through his weariness to sort his thoughts so that he could give Luthor enough information to satisfy him and yet still protect the mission. But now Luthor was just as involved in the mission as they were and if Seto didn't tell him anything, he would become a hindrance. He deserved to know, for everyone's safety. "Buy Ryou and I coffee and I'll tell you what you need to hear."

"Isn't there someplace less public where we can talk?"

"The Sullivan's home is about as private as the Talon. What about your apartment?" Seto asked Ryou.

"Father shouldn't be home," Ryou told them. "I'll call just in case." He pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number. After a few moments he hung it up. "Nope, no one home."

"Then I'll drive us there and stop at the Talon on the way. Sure you don't need more than just coffee? You both look like you're going to fall over if the wind blows wrong."

Seto slipped a hand into the pocket that contained his Deck and ran his fingers over the smooth surface of the cards. "It'd have to one hell of a wind, Luthor."

**_0-0-0-0_**

Soon they were settled comfortably in Ryou's kitchen, sipping their coffees and (in Seto's and Ryou's case) nibbling on muffins Luthor had bought for them. To be honest, Seto privately knew that he needed the pastry as much as he needed the Café Mocha he drank. Ryou had hissed in his ear that he'd needed a drink with more substance than his normal Americano and then had told Luthor to bring them both double-shot mochas, with extra chocolate. And two muffins.

"So, in the clearing, was that the game Duel Monsters?" Luthor asked.

"Yes," Seto answered.

"Don't you have to use those little contraptions to play those holograms?"

_He called the Duel Disk a "contraption,"_ Seto snarled mentally. His dragons' grumbles agreed with him. Seto pushed this thought away and chose his next words very carefully, "Yes. These monsters were not holograms."

Silence froze the kitchen.

"Are you saying that those monsters were real?" Luthor asked quietly.

"Yes. They were," Ryou told him.

"But-"

"Yes, it is impossible. And yet here we are, Summoning real monsters." Seto said calmly, gently.

Luthor took a deep breath. "How?"

There was a long pause before Ryou and Seto said, in unison, "Magic."

The dragons in Seto's head growled uneasily as they watched Luthor absorb this information.

"Magic. You're saying that you two can do magic. Real magic."

Seto swallowed. _I can't believe I'm actually saying this, let alone believing it,_ "Yes. Ryou and I can do real magic."

"But I've met a witch. Her magic isn't anything like yours."

_Gently, gently._ "Who said that all magic was the same? Who said that there was only one type?" Seto asked him.

"Then, this magic, what type is it?" Luthor asked.

"Ancient Egyptian," Ryou said. "It's about three thousand years old."

"And it helps you make these Duel Monsters appear and fight. Why the monsters?"

"Ever look at the origins of the game, Luthor?" Seto smirked. "Pegasus J. Crawford created the game from stone tablets that were discovered in Egypt. Our magic is directly connected to the game."

"That's insane!"

Seto laughed, "Magic _is_ insane, Luthor. It defies physics and the laws of nature. What else can it be?"

Luthor rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Okay, okay. Who was it that you were fighting? Apparently that person also has the same magic that you do."

"Yes, but we don't exactly know who she is. She's not even supposed to be doing what she's doing. She's a Duelist that has gone rogue," Ryou said.

"Gone rogue?"

"Duelists are not supposed to use their magic publicly unless they can disguise it in tournaments. They are _not_ supposed to be attacking people with it unless they are Duelists. She's not bothering to follow the rules," Seto scowled into his mug.

"So, what are your roles? Are you some sort of Duel Monster law enforcement?"

Seto and Ryou looked at each other. "Erm," Ryou said. "Well, we've never thought of it that way."

"We're not official. We're just the people powerful enough to bring her down," Seto answered.

"But if you think about it, we are members of the highest authority. Well, maybe you are, Ryuujin. I'm not so certain about myself," Ryou grumbled.

"That isn't important. What is important is that even though we have been attacked by the Duelist, we are not her primary target. We're just powerful enough to capture her attention."

"Then who is the target? Why are you telling me all of this? It can't just be because I asked."

"No, it's not because you asked. If we didn't give you some knowledge, you would have put us all in a precarious and dangerous position."

"What do you mean?"

"You are the main target, Luthor," Seto deadpanned.

Luthor blinked. "That's impossible. I've never touched a Duel Monsters card in my life!"

"No, you haven't. But you've been dabbling in the magic of the game. I could sense it from a mile away. What kind of experiment are you running, Luthor?"

"That's none of your business."

"Yes, it _is_ our business. You do not posses any magic and by using our magic you abuse it! You also have no idea what you are doing and that could cost you much more than your life," Seto snarled.

"Oh, really?"

"Gods, I hate idiots! Damn it, Luthor, our magic is not just connected to Duel Monsters! We deal in the most dangerous type of magic: soul magic! What do you think will happen to you if you fumble with something you have no control over and do not understand that can do _anything _to your soul?"

Luthor didn't exactly turn pale at the revelation, but he quickly took a sip of his coffee.

"Now, what were you trying to do?" Seto asked. "It'll make it easier if you tell us, because we will find out. It is our magic, after all."

Luthor 'hmphed' but spoke, "You're lucky I'm still here. I don't take kindly to being called an idiot, but in this circumstance, I'm willing to ignore that little comment of yours." Luthor paused, as if to consider his options and the pros and cons of telling Seto and Ryou about his experiment, sighed, and continued, "My team has looked at games all over the world: card games, video games, and even some martial arts. We're researching the science of predictability. Martial arts was a dead end because if someone is good enough, they can read movements in the opponent's muscles to predict their next move. But in card games, the players quickly learn to hide their emotions so as to not give themselves away, so the opponent has to rely on seemingly supernatural ability in order to beat them. We were just starting to look at Duel Monsters, how the players seem to know exactly what card they're holding and whether it'll help or hurt them. It seems as if it's an impossible game to play, with all of the cards to choose from to combine in a deck and the chance that the right combinations that you hold can defeat the opponent…I don't know how you do it. There was also an unfounded rumor that the creator of the game could actually read minds, but that's ridiculous."

"So you're studying predictability. Why? What's the gain?" Ryou asked.

Seto narrowed his eyes, "The military would pay a fortune if it worked. The ultimate strategy: actually know what the enemy is planning."

"You don't like companies that sell to the military?" Luthor asked.

"I don't like people that deal in death. It's a disgusting way to make a living."

"I only work to improve the military's defense."

"They say that the best defense is a good offense," Seto shot back.

"All right, all right, that's enough. Luthor-san can run his company any way he wants to as long as he doesn't do anything illegal. Ryuujin-kun, you have no right to criticize how Luthor-san runs his business," Ryou chastised Seto. Seto glared at him, but Ryou didn't back down. Finally Seto snorted and drank from his mug and Ryou swallowed and exhaled in relief.

"So, you're saying that because I'm running this experiment, I've made myself a target."

"Not necessarily. It's just made you easier to track," Ryou answered. "Especially since it's an abnormality."

"You can tell I'm not supposed to be exposed to this 'magic' just by looking at me?"

"It's more like we sense it," Ryou explained.

"Not that it's hard in a shithole like this," Seto grumbled.

"What do you mean?" Luthor asked.

"What he means is that to someone as sensitive as we are, this place is hard to live in. It has a lot of…qualities that wear us down."

"You mean the meteor rocks?" Luthor asked.

_That's one of the reasons,_ Seto thought grimly.

"Magic, at least our magic, is terra based. Anything from space is considered hostile and must be destroyed. We're not exactly sure why, it's just how it is," Ryou said smoothly.

_He's lying_, Seto realized. _He knows exactly why we can't stand the meteors. Why? And why didn't he tell me?_

His dragons snorted in his head. _Right, because he knew I wouldn't believe him._

"The same thing became apparent in my experiments. Whenever we tried to use the meteor rocks, they were destroyed."

"You should discontinue the experiments, Luthor. Magic, even with the most competent and experienced user is unpredictable and can have permanent and negative effects. Even if you succeed in your objective, there is no way you can duplicate the results. Ever."

Luthor crossed his arms and stared at Seto. "And why should I listen to you? You're just a kid."

Ryou's eyes widened and he scooted back from the table a bit. "Please don't break anything," he begged Seto. "My father would _kill_ me."

But the expected explosion never came. Seto's eyes were like granite as he leaned forward, but his voice was very, _very_ soft. "You should listen to me, Luthor, because I know a waste of a project when I see one. This one will lead you nowhere. Stay in science, Luthor, where the outcomes actually make sense and gravity is not a suggestion."

There was a long silence. "Fine. I'll cancel the experiment," Luthor finally conceded.

Seto straightened and took a sip of his coffee. "Good. Now, I believe this meeting is over. Watch your back, Luthor."

Luthor stood from his chair, "From whom? This Rogue Duelist? You?"

Seto smirked. "From everyone. Especially me. You may not believe it, Luthor, but I am not a 'kid'."

Luthor snorted, but left without another word. Ryou let out a shaky breath and collapsed back into his seat.

"I thought he was dead," Ryou commented to Seto.

"The last person that called me a kid ended up with his company destroyed, his bank account disintegrated, and was found lying at the bottom of Tokyo Bay with his throat cut. It wasn't my fault he was in knee-deep with the Yakuza. But, Luthor had better watch his back. He doesn't quite know how influential I really am."

Ryou shivered and Seto pretended not to notice as he finished his drink and left Ryou's apartment, heading to the Sullivan's residence.

_**0-0-0-0**_

Weary with exhaustion, Seto threw himself down on the bed in the room he was staying in. He was ready to "crash" as Chloe said when he remembered that he had to call Mokuba about the damned chemistry lab explosion. Groaning, he reached out in the direction of his bedside table, blindly searching for his cell phone. His fingers brushed against hard plastic only to knock the phone to the floor. Looking down at the phone, Seto sighed heavily and lethargically bent down and grabbed the phone and hit speed dial one.

"Moshi, moshi nisama," Mokuba's chipper voice reached Seto's ear.

"Mokuba," Seto replied, unable to keep the weariness out of his voice, especially when he was talking to his brother.

"Oh, did you find out any more intel on her?" Mokuba had clearly put together that Seto was tired because he had recently Dueled the Rogue Duelist.

Seto grinned. Most people paid attention to him and completely dismissed Mokuba, forgetting that Mokuba was the Vice President of Kaiba Corporation for a reason and not because of nepotism. Mokuba was just as smart as Seto was; he just didn't have all of the knowledge (which was perfectly fine with Seto). It meant that Mokuba spent all of his free time devouring books, improving his chess game, and learning at his own pace instead of the forced absorption Seto had been subjected to.

Thanks to Gozaburo's training, Seto knew a little bit about everything but hadn't been able to explore all of the aspects of the subjects he loved. Then again, if he had learned at his own pace, he'd be attending college instead of running Kaiba Corporation. Despite everything that had happened to him, he preferred the latter. "She's gained power, or she's using her better cards. Luthor also glimpsed some of the Duel."

"On accident or was it intentional?"

"He was attracted by the noise, but she may have been planning to attack him anyways. So far there have been two direct attacks on Luthor, one time where he had found an Egyptian incantation and then two seconds later _I _was attacked, and Sullivan has been in two situations where there have been Duel Monsters attacking me. There was also an attack on a security guard at LexCorp and an attack at a park that had been funded by Luthor. That's five for Luthor and two for Sullivan. This Duelist is definitely after Luthor, and it's been too coincidental for Sullivan. I'd say Luthor is the target while Sullivan is the secondary and less-important target. It could even be that her Shadow magic is attracting the attacks like Ryou's and mine are."

"But the Rogue Duelist is attacking you because you're a powerful Duelist. Sullivan doesn't even own a card, let alone a Deck! Is she powerful?"

Seto considered this for a moment. "She'd be good. If she worked hard, she could achieve Kujaku Mai's level. But she doesn't have a Deck," Seto commented to himself.

There was a thoughtful pause on the other end of the line before Mokuba spoke, "Nisama, what is the function of a Deck? Forget the game for a moment, forget the specific cards, just what is a Deck supposed to do?"

Seto frowned, thinking. "It's a tool," he said slowly. "It's a tool to enable someone to fight using their magic. It focuses one's abilities and channels them into performing a specific action. A Deck…focuses the magic and can even amplify it. Just like a Sennen Item."

"So, if Sullivan doesn't have a Deck, then her Shadow magic is unfocused. It's scattered…unevenly distributed and even wasted," Mokuba continued.

"That means that the Duelist couldn't possibly be attacking Sullivan because of her magic because her magic isn't utilized enough to attract attention. So, Sullivan has to be a target!" Seto summed up, his voice growing more excited as he solved the puzzle.

"But why?" Mokuba asked.

Seto closed his eyes. "I don't know. And the Rogue Duelist is getting ready for an immense attack. I can feel it. There's going to be an enormous Duel, and soon. In a couple of days, even."

"Well, the only thing to do when you face an unknown enemy is to prepare as thoroughly as you can and then challenge them when they least expect it."

"If they don't ambush you first," Seto grumbled.

"The best thing to do in an ambush is to counter as best as you can and pretend like you knew it was there all along to get the enemy off-balance," Mokuba told him.

"Good in theory but hell to pull in practice. Speaking of outbreaks of violence and destruction, I have a second reason for contacting you."

"Oh?" Seto could hear the grin in Mokuba's voice and pictured that his brother was thinking, _'This is gonna be good.'_

"Due to a gross oversight on my part and an attempt of Sullivan's to get me involved in her homework, Bakura blew up the school's chemistry laboratory. In order to save him from charges and possible jail time so that he would be ready to combat the Rogue Duelist, I volunteered some of Kaiba Corporation's charity to rebuild the lab. Would you call the principal of Smallville High tomorrow? I said I would get her in contact with the Vice President."

"I'll have to squeeze her into my schedule, but yeah, I'm sure I can do it. So you saved Bakura's ass?"

"And I can just see my reputation spiraling down the toilet as we speak," Seto grumbled.

"Aw, nisama, if you just make sure everyone knows you had "ulterior motives" then your reputation is safe."

Seto did not like the tone of Mokuba's voice. "Are you accusing me of actually aiding Bakura because I wanted to? That I was being_ nice_ to a person who has wanted to kill me?"

Mokuba's voice sounded extremely smug when he replied, "Oh, _no_, nisama, not at _all_."

Seto wondered if Mokuba knew that he was glaring at his cell phone and tactically changed the subject, "The principal's number is (620) 348-7631. Goodnight, Mokuba."

He heard the smirk in Mokuba's voice as his brother answered, "'Night, nisama." Then, more soberly. "Good luck."

"Thank you." Seto hung up and shook his head. "Cheeky kid."

_**0-0-0-0**_

That morning, the Sullivans received a phone call at exactly 6:13 in the morning, right as Seto was heading downstairs to the kitchen, Sullivan-san was in the shower, and Chloe was tripping over a sneaker she had left in the hall the night before. Seto turned and raised an eyebrow at her as she lifted herself off of the carpet.

"Who the hell is calling at this hour of the morning?" Chloe grumbled and rubbed her eyes blearily as she entered her room to answer the phone. Seto could faintly hear her mumble a salutation into the phone and after a few seconds say, "Yes, this is Chloe Sullivan. Who is speaking?"

Seto went back to navigating his way down the stairs when something in Chloe's voice made him stop and frown. She sounded somewhat frightened and even panicked. Almost unconsciously, Seto leaned slightly in the direction of Chloe's room to "discreetly overhear" Chloe's side of the conversation.

"What do you mean you don't know where he is? He's a high profile criminal and has tried to _blow me up_ and you don't know how he escaped or even where he is? He could be planning to kill me right now, and no, I'm not being paranoid because everyone knows that Lionel Luthor does not let a grudge go! What the fuck am I supposed to do now, just go on with my life and pretend that the next time I open my locker a bomb won't go off in my face?"

This was very interesting. Of course, Seto had heard about the infamous arrest of Luthor Lionel, father of Luthor Lex, who was the former CEO of Luthor Corp (known currently as LexCorp and—of course—run by Luthor Lex), and the trial that condemned him to serve a life sentence for killing his parents. What Seto didn't know was that apparently Chloe had done something to get her on Luthor Lionel's hit list. And now it appeared that Luthor Lionel had escaped from prison.

Seto didn't marvel at this supposed impossible task; a man with Luthor Lionel's power and influence would have little trouble arranging for his escape, even if he didn't have access to his fortune. Gozaburo had done the same thing, and in Seto's early days (when he lost his grip on his sanity) he'd followed his adoptive father's example. Before he could start reminiscing about past deeds and mistakes, Seto dragged himself away from the cobwebs of the past and paid attention to the present.

Chloe had been silent for a while. After another minute, she said, "Alright, fine….Yes, of course I'll tell him. What do you think I am, an idiot? I'll tell him right away!...Okay…Okay…Bye."

He heard the click of the phone being hung up and a long, heavy sigh from Chloe.

Seto was about to continue downstairs when he heard a soft "owoo" coming from his left. He looked to see it was the Kuriboh and it was looking at him with the most sincere and pleading expression Seto had ever seen (except for the occasional 'Bambi-eyes' Mokuba threw at him whenever his brother wanted something when Mokuba was certain Seto would refuse). Seto narrowed his eyes and glared at it. The Kuriboh only opened its eyes even wider. After a few minutes into the staring contest, Seto caved. Swearing at the monster underneath his breath, he climbed back up the stairs and headed towards Chloe's room to actually attempt to help her "talk about it".

"I can't believe I'm doing this. It's not as if I'm the best person to come to for advice," He glanced down at the Kuriboh tagging at his heels. It grinned at him with a suspiciously smug smirk that he'd seen whenever he'd looked at himself in the mirror. "Maybe you wouldn't look so smug when I send my dragons after you," he snarled at it. His threat was an empty one as soon as he heard an unmistakable trio of amused snorts. Nope, no help from his supposed "faithful" monsters.

Seto reached Chloe's room and leaned against the doorway, crossing his arms. Chloe sat very still on her bed, her hands clasped in her lap as she stared at the wall. She was far from the usual relaxed and attentive attitude that settled on her like a coat. Every muscle in her body was tense and her mouth was clenched so tightly that Seto marveled that he didn't hear enamel cracking. There were tiny lines around her mouth and eyes that Seto had seen on himself from time to time when work and life became too chaotic. _Like right now._

The Kuriboh bounced in and pounced on Chloe's bed and the girl jumped, as if she hadn't heard the damned thing purring for the last minute and a half. She laughed a little and reached out with one hand to pet the monster and ran the other through her hair. As the Kuriboh climbed into her lap and closed its eyes in bliss as she scratched its head, she spoke to Seto without looking at him.

"Remember when I said that my curiosity would get me into some deep shit? Well, it did about four months ago. I discovered proof to Lex's claim that Lionel had murdered Lex's grandparents, and by Lex's grandparents I mean Lionel's parents, by arranging a mobster to blow them up in a warehouse. I then testified against Lionel at his trial and he's been out for my blood ever since. He even booby-trapped the safe house Dad and I were supposed to stay in. If it hadn't been for Lex, I would be in pieces six feet under. Of course, Lex didn't get off so lightly either, with the attempted poisoning and all, but we're all still here, right?"

She finally looked up at Seto with watery eyes, and Seto knew she was asking for reassurance and mentally cursed the damned Kuriboh.

"I'm not the one you should go to for comfort, Sullivan. I've never been in the situation you're in right now." That, at least, was the truth. He'd never gone through the legal system to illuminate the criminals in the business world; he'd just hacked his way into the mainframe and found a way to send the evidence to the cops that ensured that it didn't look like it was gotten from slightly-less-than-legal actions. And he always covered his trail. Chloe hadn't.

Chloe stopped petting the Kuriboh and it frowned but stayed in her lap. "But Marley tried to kill you, and you survived. You're not even the worse-for-wear from it! How did you do it?"

"Skill and—as much as I hate to admit it—luck. But the best way to deal with a hostile enemy is to treat them like a viscous dog: never let them know how afraid you are. If you can do that, you have a fighting chance." He raised an eyebrow at her, "And the best way to show that you're not afraid is to actually go to school today."

Chloe started, making the Kuriboh jump as well. "How did you-?"

Seto smirked. "It was written all over your face." With that said, he turned and resumed going down to the kitchen for coffee and breakfast, especially coffee.

**_0-0-0-0_**

It took Chloe longer than usual to get ready for school, especially since she had to alert her father about their predicament. Then the phone rang again, this time from Lex Luthor. He asked if the Sullivans wanted an escort to their respective destinations from Lex's personal security team. Sullivan-san and Chloe argued for a full ten minutes about this new development: Chloe insisting that she didn't need the escort because Lionel Luthor the Psychotic Businessman wouldn't dare go after her right now because even if the man was unstable he was still frickin' smart enough not to draw attention to himself just yet and Sullivan-san demanding that she would use the escort, damn it, because Lionel Luthor is a dangerous homicidal maniac and she should take as many precautions as she can and not be so stupid and careless. After this remark, Seto raised an eyebrow and mentally counted down from ten. He reached five just as Chloe started screaming at her father, saying that she wasn't stupid and it wasn't her fault that Lionel tried to kill her and maybe she had done some stupid things in the past but why didn't the stupid police just do their fucking jobs so she wouldn't have to be in this fucking situation!

They both stood in the kitchen, breathing hard and red-faced and Seto eyed them, wondering if one of them was angry enough to strike the other because the tension was mounting and Chloe's fists were clenched so that her knuckles were white and Sullivan-san's lips were very thin.

Then Chloe threw her arms around her father and they embraced tightly, Sullivan-san stroking her hair and Chloe mumbling into his shirt, "I'm sorry, Dad. I'm so sorry I got us in this situation, I really don't know how it ended up like this, it's all my fault, isn't it?"

"Not at all, honey. Don't you ever think that, okay? You were just trying to do the right thing, and sometimes they turn out like this."

Seto swallowed uncomfortably. He felt like an intruder, standing in the kitchen watching them hug and admit being scared and vulnerable and angry and loving like…like a _family_. He really wanted to get away from them. Right now. But he found he was rooted to spot and swallowed again, _hard_, because his tongue felt like it was filling his mouth and why couldn't he say anything to stop this damn _family_ moment?

"I know," Chloe whispered.

"I wish you'd agree to the escort. It would make me feel better," Sullivan-san told her. Seto knew exactly what he meant, and it was the subject of many of the arguments in the Kaiba household.

"How about we don't do the escort, but I call you every time I go somewhere, hm? I call you when I get to school, when I'm about to leave, when I get home, stuff like that, huh? What do you say?"

Sullivan-san considered this for a moment, and then nodded. "Deal. And I'm taking the escort. And I'll call you too, so keep your phone off during school so I don't disturb you during class, okay? I'll just leave messages on your voicemail."

"Okay." Chloe and her father broke and she turned to Seto, sniffing a bit and blinking furiously. "You ready to go?"

Seto nodded and they exited the house. Seto noticed that despite her slightly trembling hands, Chloe's steps were firm and her head was held high.

_**0-0-0-0**_

When Seto opened his locker that morning, a note fell out of it onto the floor. It had clearly been slipped in through the small cracks in the locker, and Seto again reminded himself why he never used his locker at his brief time at Domino High. School lockers were too flimsy and easily broken into. He bent down and picked up the note, his eyebrows rising in surprise.

_Ryuujin-_

_I have a proposition that you might be interested in. Meet me at the Talon at 4:00. _

_-Lex_

"Intriguing."

Absentmindedly, Seto wondered if Lex met with all potential business clients like this…

_**0-0-0-0**_

"I'd like to make an offer to you," Luthor said smoothly as he sat at the empty seat across from Seto as the teen sipped at his Americano in the Talon. It was 4:05 and Seto wondered why the CEO had bothered to be late.

"What sort of offer is this?" Seto asked.

"You and Ryou Bakura are the best experts on Dueling, correct?"

"There are more, but you probably won't be able to contact them in time. While I may be an expert, I don't advertise as one." _Keep to the cover, just keep to the cover as long as you can and until you are certain that you cannot convince someone to believe it, just drop everything and run like hell._

"But you know the game and the players?" Luthor went on impatiently.

"The good ones. It would be close to impossible to have information on every single Duelist in the world. Why do you ask?"

"I found out that while my father was in prison, Duel Monsters caught his eye, as well as the rumors surrounding it, some of which were proven to me yesterday. It's even rumored that he had the help of a Duelist when he broke out of prison. And, according to my injured security guards and your testimony, this Duelist seems to already have tried to kill me. Now, with your knowledge and my access, we can help each other. You can piece together who this 'Rogue Duelist' is and I can ensure that my security can make me as safe as houses when this person attacks. I need you and Mr. Bakura's help to look through my father's files and find out what we both need to know about this Duelist."

This was exactly the break Ryou and Seto needed, but Seto couldn't let Luthor know this. Seto raised his eyebrows. "So you actually believe us."

"I can't dismiss your claims. Those were real monsters, and my security had no toxins in their systems, so they couldn't have been hallucinating. And I know I certainly wasn't hallucinating when that ninja attacked me a few weeks ago or what I saw last night. Will you accept my proposition? I'll even pay you if you desire it."

"Forget the money, Luthor. I have no use for it. Yes, I will look through your files, although I am not speaking for Ryou."

Luthor grinned and shook his head, "You are the first teenager I have ever met that refuses to accept money from a billionaire."

"What about Kent?" Seto asked curiously. It seemed out of character for the Kents to take any form of charity, especially from someone like Lex Luthor.

"His family is too short on money to keep falling back on their pride, although it has been a long and difficult fight to get them to trust me."

"They don't trust you, Luthor. They never will completely trust you." _Not as long as they can see your father's shadow in your eyes._

Luthor's mouth thinned and he narrowed his eyes at Seto. "You sure love to push everyone's buttons, don't you?"

Seto smirked, "It's a hobby of mine."

"Your little hobby is going to get you killed one day, Ryuujin. Pass on my message to Mr. Bakura," Luthor got to his feet and strode out the door.

Seto's eyes followed Luthor as he left the Talon. _Dueling is the hobby that's going to lead to my death, not goading, _he thought darkly as he sipped his bitter drink.

**_0-0-0-0_**

Ryou, of course, had been enthusiastic about the possibility of gaining more information on their Rogue Duelist, and they immediately made their way over to the Luthor mansion. The structure of the mansion and gray stones used reminded Seto of a 14th Century castle more than an actual mansion. When he commented to Luthor about this, Luthor nodded.

"It _is_ actually a castle. Dad moved it over here from Scotland, brick by brick."

Seto stared at the castle for a moment and then at the flat, brown landscape of Kansas. It stood out like a diamond among garbage. He then tried to imagine the castle in its true environment of beautiful, rolling green hills and early morning mist and a few errant sheep. "What a waste," Seto murmured.

Ryou nodded slightly in agreement, "A pointless show of wealth."

Luthor either didn't hear their comments or didn't care as he led them inside the grandiose building.

They stepped into the mansion's grand entrance hall and Ryou blinked and softly whistled in admiration at the lavish decorations, but Seto didn't even spare them a glance. Luthor led them up the stairs and through some wooden doors. They walked into what looked like a sitting room. It was comfy, with plush red couches and dark carpeting and a marble statue that looked to be from ancient Rome on the mantle over the fireplace. Besides the intricate chandelier in the center of the room, the statue was the only light-colored object in the room. _Dark colors and the red couches hide bloodstains that fabric cleaner can't get out._ Seto thought darkly. It was the same reason Gozaburo's office's carpet had been a deep indigo, almost black. He walked up the stairs and also noted that the carpet was a deep scarlet. _This place has an interesting history._

Luthor then led them into a large, yet comfortable study, complete with immense bookshelves, a pool table, grand piano, a television, stereo, more red couches, dark carpeting, a fireplace next to the couches, and a bar filled with bottles of liquor. Seto raised an eyebrow at this. Perhaps it was because he was underage, but every one of his offices was empty from any type of liquor. Gozaburo, however, always kept a bottle of scotch ready. Absentmindedly, Seto wondered where Luthor kept the coffee machine.

"The files on my father and his activities in prison are on the desk. If you want to have access to any other file, find me and I'll unlock the drawer if I decide you can view it. Agreed?"

"Yes," Ryou answered.

"If you want anything to eat or drink, there's an intercom on my desk that calls in an assistant. I'd also appreciate if you didn't touch anything in the bar."

Seto smirked, "Of course."

"Good," Luthor turned on his heel and left the study, closing the handsome wooden doors behind him.

Seto strode over to the desk and selected a group of files from the small pile, leaving the others for Ryou.

"Ever looked at police reports before?" Seto asked.

"Are they as monotone as the field reports of digs in Jerusalem?" Ryou asked.

"Worse."

"Wonderful," Ryou groused. "This is going to be a lo-ong day."

"It's going to be one hell of a useful day, you mean," Seto corrected as he sat down on the couch and began to read.

"That too," Ryou admitted, grabbing the rest of the reports and sitting on the couch across from him.

That's how the two Duelists spent the afternoon: reading through the reports, bouncing ideas off of each other, occasionally pacing and gesturing in excitement as they thought they had found another clue to the identity of the Rogue Duelist, sighing in frustration when it was revealed to be a dead end, and sipping from their respective mugs of coffee or tea and nibbling on some fruit salad and chocolate-chip cookies the cooks had brought in. They then had one of the housekeepers bring in a white board and some markers where they drew up a chart of the clues they had gathered.

"All right," Seto announced after they had read through the reports several times. "This is what we have. Luthor Lionel went to jail for the murder of his parents, who he arranged to have them blown up by a member of the mob known as Morgan Edge. Apparently after Luthor Lex found this out, Luthor had a psychotic break and was institutionalized. It is unknown whether this psychotic break was genuine or he was forced to take a drug that instigated a psychotic break. While in the institution, he undergoes an experimental procedure that erases several months of his memory, precisely the timeline where he learned about his grandparent's murders. Sullivan somehow cons Luthor Lionel into admitting his guilt into her voicemail and also testifies at his trial, along with Luthor. Because of their testimonies and a recording of Luthor Lionel admitting his guilt, Luthor Lionel is found guilty. He is facing an indeterminate life sentence at Metropolis City Penitentiary at 25 to life with no chance of parole and he has a failing liver with no cure. Right before the trial can get testimonies from Sullivan and Luthor, Luthor is poisoned and Sullivan and her father are nearly blown up. Luthor Lionel is suspected, but nothing can be proven."

"Of course," Ryou rolled his eyes. Seto smirked.

"They manage to testify at the trial, get Luthor Lionel behind bars, and everyone is happy."

"But-" Ryou added.

"However, Luthor Lionel's liver disease is miraculously cured and he's regained his full health. Therefore, his desire to escape is even more powerful than it was before. It also seems that, like his son, Luthor Lionel has a keen interest in the odd occurrences in Smallville."

"You mean all of the people that get mutated by the radiation from the meteor rocks."

A vein above Seto's eye ticked. "Yes. Of course, we cannot assume that this is just curiosity. There is another reason that drives Luthor Lionel's interest, but it is unknown. Perhaps he thought that it might cure his disease, but he is still interested in it after he's been declared healthy."

"And, according to his accounts—which should be frozen, mind you—there seems to be a few cents missing here and there. He's managing to bribe people, and probably for a variety of reasons. One reason could be to keep information that explains his interest in the alien happenings in this gods forsaken town or how he came into contact with the Rogue Duelist, assuming that he has."

Seto frowned. "There's no other explanation. He didn't finish the job of killing Luthor or Sullivan and wanted to ensure that it would be done. He wants revenge."

"Maybe he doesn't just want revenge, at least, not where Luthor Lex is concerned. It's always different when it comes to family, no matter how bad the relationship between relatives."

Seto tapped his finger on his knee, thinking. "Luthor Lionel grew up in poverty. He then fulfilled the American dream and made himself into an empire. Luthor Lex grew up in wealth. He never got to experience the poverty his father did, and it is well known that parents not only live vicariously through their children, but they also want to pass down the same lessons and values they experienced."

Ryou finished the thought, "But poverty can only be experienced through living it. Because Luthor Lex never experienced it, he couldn't learn one of Luthor Lionel's most important lessons. Eventually, Luthor Lionel grew frustrated."

"It's also rumored that Luthor Lionel's wife was a few cards short of a deck and there are also rumors that Luthor Lionel was unfaithful. Both can be valid. After all, looking at Luthor Lex's track record with women, who do you think he learned from?"

"In the business world Luthor Lex is ruthless, efficient, and merciless. Supposedly his personal life is the same. Let's assume for a moment that Luthor Lionel is the same way, if not more extreme. So, the Luthors have a horrible relationship."

Seto straightened in his seat as an epiphany hit. "Luthor Lionel despises his son."

"What?" Ryou asked.

"It's very possible to love and hate your child. If Luthor Lionel tries to live vicariously through his son and yet his son is throwing his own faults back into his face, Luthor Lionel will subconsciously hate his son. And now his son is freer than the wind while he's rotting in jail. This is more than just revenge; this is years of built up jealousy and rage."

"But why get a Duelist to kill Luthor Lex? Why not just hire a gunman? It's a lot simpler, easier, and less expensive."

"He's already tried with the poison attempt. It didn't work and Luthor Lex is going to be a lot more careful. Luthor Lionel had to approach this from a different angle, and if he is as obsessed with the meteor rocks as I think he is, he knows that somehow, Kent is connected to them. And what's the one thing that can interfere with the meteor rocks?"

"Magic," Ryou breathed. "By the gods, it fits! And who would suspect a game to be able to kill someone?"

"I would," Seto answered.

"It was a rhetorical question."

"I know. But still, I would have."

"So would I. But that's because we're biased."

"Anyways, we've gone over the background information, preliminary, and psychological aspects. But we still haven't solved the most important mystery. We still don't know who the fucking Rogue Duelist is!"

"And we can't trust the records of who visited Luthor Lionel in prison because he bribed people to keep information out!" Ryou threw the files down onto the coffee table in disgust.

"I can find out. But I need a computer."

Ryou looked around the study, which was absent of a computer. "And Luthor Lex didn't leave a computer in here because he doesn't trust us."

"Correct." Seto had considered bringing his laptop, but he didn't want to risk Luthor seeing all of his files that would have blown his alias.

At that moment, the wooden doors to the study opened and Luthor stepped in, carrying a laptop. "Someone call for a computer?" he smirked.

Seto narrowed his eyes, "I knew this room was bugged."

Ryou's eyes widened. "Bugged?"

"I could have been waiting outside the doors," Luthor suggested.

"With a laptop ready in your hands? I doubt it."

"You mean he was spying on us?" Ryou asked Seto.

"Of course. He probably has security cameras in every room in this mansion," Seto commented, taking the laptop from Luthor and sitting down on the couch. He turned on the laptop and quickly typed onto the prison's website. Luthor and Ryou moved closer to peer over his shoulder as he worked. Seto spared a glance at Luthor before continuing. Ryou, he knew, wouldn't have any idea of what he was doing, but Luthor's knowledge of computers might prove dangerous.

"If you hack in, can you erase your tracks?" Luthor asked as Seto went back to work.

"Of course. It's the first thing I learned," Seto scoffed at Luthor's ridiculous question.

A few minutes later he was accessing the prison's accounts and visitation records. Luthor whistled in appreciation.

"You work fast."

"I make sure to. You never know who could be working against you, so the only thing you can ensure is that you work faster than they do."

In just another minute, he was accessing Luthor Lionel's visitation records, the ones he and Ryou had looked at. He paused and turned to Luthor. "I have a question. I assume that you were able to get this far by yourself. Why do you need us?" _Why do you need me?_

"Because, if I was discovered, my father would recognize my style."

"Hackers have different styles?" Ryou asked.

"Just like painters."

Seto raised an eyebrow. "It's not as drastic as that. But I think there's another reason you needed us." With a few keystrokes he was in the original visitation records, the ones that hadn't been tampered with. "You didn't have the skill to do this."

Luthor's eyes widened as he stared at the computer screen. "How did you-?"

Seto smirked. "It's a secret." He scanned over the information, easily locating the missing time slots. "It seems that your father was visited by a major gaming company in China, GameWave Industries."

"How do you know?" Ryou asked.

Seto pointed a finger at a name under 9:03-9:15 pm visitor. "Zhi Jin is the vice president of the company. They're a competitor of Kaiba Corporation, the top game company in Japan," he added for Luthor's benefit.

"Why would a Chinese gaming company be visiting my father?"

"The same reason you're on a Rogue Duelist's hit list. Luthor Lionel is paying them enough money that they hired an uncontrolled, possibly unstable Duelist to kill two birds with one stone. Luthor's demands, and Duel Monster's reputation."

"Isis and Hathor! If Luthor-san and Chloe-san are killed by a person playing Duel Monsters, it would lose all of its popularity and credibility! Companies that support Duel Monsters could go bankrupt!" Ryou gasped.

"And then GameWave would sweep in and grab all of the customers Duel Monsters lost," Luthor finished.

"It's a brilliant plan," Seto mused as he closed down the site and neatly covered his tracks. He shut down the computer and handed it back to Luthor.

"If not insane," Ryou pointed out.

"Yes, but brilliance is often driven by insanity."

"It's rather far-fetched and expensive," Luthor frowned.

"Not really. Duel Monsters has been receiving bad press in the last few months, and if the Rogue Duelist is as unstable as I think she is, then GameWave and Luthor Lionel are not spending as much as they could be."

"Why do you think this 'rogue duelist' of yours is crazy?" Luthor asked.

"Her Deck is radically unbalanced. The cards don't fit or play well against the other. She has water monsters working side-by-side with fire monsters. Polar opposites don't achieve much when they're forced to fight together," Seto explained.

"Then why is she giving you such a hard time? Can't you just use this against her?"

"The insane are the worst people to fight. They're not logical, they attack when the wind changes, and they do anything to win. She has strong enough monsters that she could win by power alone if she utilized her Deck correctly. And she's intelligent enough to do that."

"She also has surprise on her side and she is able to attack over long distances," Ryou continued.

"Do you have any idea when she will attack next?"

Ryou shook his head. "We only know that it's going to be soon, it's going to be her last attack, and it's going to be big. Really big."

Luthor frowned. "How much damage can these monsters inflict?"

"The holograms themselves can produce shock waves powerful enough to knock someone off a tall building. With a real monster…think Godzilla. With a bazooka in each hand and an invulnerable skin," Seto said.

Luthor whistled. "Can't bullets stop them?"

"The less powerful ones, yes. But when it gets to 1000 defense points, you'd need a tank and ballistic missiles. When it gets to 2000, only other Duel Monsters can stop them," Ryou told him.

"That's some weapon you have under your belts."

Seto smirked and Ryou nodded. Seto's dragons rumbled in appreciation at the compliment.

"How powerful do these monsters get?" Luthor asked.

"I've seen one with infinite attack and defense points," Seto answered.

Luthor raised an eyebrow. "How did you defeat it?"

"I didn't. Someone else did."

Luthor seemed to catch the tiny hint of respect in Seto's tone. "Sounds like a worthy opponent."

Seto chuckled, "You have no idea."

* * *

**A/N:** Ummm, it's only been a few months? Hee hee... 

Ok, so real life (which includes school and applying for colleges) got in the way, as well as my muse got lost when she was trampeled by a herd of lemmings and then taken as their sacrificial goddess. It was a rather uncomfortable set of circumstances involving nudity and Pokey that she'd rather not talk about. Ever.

I am very, very sorry for the delay and it probably will happen again. One must be patient with someone as frivolous and whimsical as I am.

About Luthor still being the bad guy and Chloe being scared of him, I think the Smallville producers are severel deranged for convieniently forgetting that Lionel Luthor confessed, was jailed, and then sentenced to death for the murder of his parents. How could all of the characters just forget that and start trusting Lionel again? I certainly don't and Lionel may be trying to change, but no one can really change as fully and quickly as Lionel has. It's ridiculous. So he's still the bad guy to me. Lex is getting to be the bad guy, and Chloe should recieve some of the consequences of her thoroughly stupid actions. I may like her, but she was still somewhat of an idiot, and a lucky one at that. The shows never talks about her father anymore, so I'm wondering how he's been affected. I also am not watching Smallville anymore because it's gotten ridiculous and thoroughly unbelievable instead of somewhat unbelievable and has immensly horrible acting. I've pretty much grown out of it. I'm still gonna write it, but I'm gonna ignore a lot of things and take more from the comics than from the show. The show's pretty much destroyed the comics and that upset's me a bit. Okay, maybe a lot.

Also, I'm almost done with this fic. I just have about two chapters to go and theyre sort of partly written (i wrote them looong before I started writing the middle so they have a lot of inconsistancies): the final battle and then the epilogue. it's going to be packed with lots of Dueling, which means lots of delays and painful writing for me because I can't write Duels to save my life. I suck at strategy and cards and this might possibly be the worst fandom ever for me to write...but it's the only one I can write. If there's anyone out there who would love to help me, I'd gladly accept any offers.


End file.
